ITU-D News Archive

19/12/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau and Secretary-General-elect, ITU

How can we ensure that the hardest-to-reach communities are connected?. In just one year, the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with the UN Secretary General’s Office of the Technology Envoy and the UN OHRLLS, has uncovered hundreds of different ways of achieving that goal.

16/12/2022​​​

Sumeysh Srivastava, Manager, Public Policy, The Quantum Hub

To live a full life in the modern world, one must be digitally literate. According to the Indian National Statistical Office, a digitally literate person is at least five years old and can navigate the Internet via a web browser, use e-mail, and find, evaluate, and communicate information using social media tools.

2/12/2022​​​

Roxana Widmer-Iliescu, Senior Coordinator for Digital Inclusion, ITU

Learning in the classroom lays the foundation, starting early on, for the rest of our lives. But when students lack equal access to today’s digital technologies, their personal and professional development can be affected for years to come. This is true, especially for children with disabilities.

30/11/2022​​​

ITU News

Global median price of mobile-broadband services dropped from 1.9 per cent to 1.5 per cent of average gross national income (GNI) per capita. Only 63 per cent of women are using the Internet in 2022 compared to 69 per cent of men. Almost three-quarters of the global population aged 10 and over now own a mobile phone. Youth aged 15-24 years are the driving force of connectivity, with 75 per cent of young people worldwide now able to use the Internet.

30/11/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau and Secretary-General-elect, ITU

Thinking about the many challenges facing the world today, I recall the words of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the first World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) back in 2003. "Technology has produced the Information Age," he said. "Now it is up to all of us to build an Information Society."

29/11/2022​​​

ITU News

After Abdulai Asana started a small bakery in her hometown of Yendi, Ghana, she wanted to improve her digital marketing skills to grow her new pastry business online. "As an entrepreneur, if you want to promote your business, things are online, and people benefit from that," Asana said.

25/11/2022​​​

ITU News

In Mexico, around nine million women suffer some form of digital harassment every year. In 2020, the organization Luchadoras (Fighters) opened a support service for victims of online violence in the country. Through social media, e-mail, messaging apps, a phone line, and other channels, any woman can get in touch for advice on how to respond to online harassment.

22/11/2022​​​

ITU News

The villages of Sadore and Borgo Darey lie around 45 kilometres from Niger's capital Niamey. The distance can mean life or death when urgent medical care is needed. "Most of the roads are not well-maintained, and some of the Niger's villages are 2,000 kilometers away from the capital," observes Hani Eskandar, Senior Coordinator for Digital Services at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). "So how can you provide support and serve the needs of those villages?"

27/10/2022​​​

ITU News

A powerful tropical hurricane ripped across Nicaragua earlier this month, with torrential rains triggering life-threatening flash floods and mudslides across the Central American country. The Category 1 storm forced 13,000 people to evacuate to shelters, according to some reports – many with only the clothes on their backs.

27/10/2022​​​

Khawar Iqbal, Director, Digital Society at Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Frederick Van Gysegem, Partner at Roland Berger

We live in a time when all aspects of our lives are undergoing a digital transformation, from education to entertainment – and perhaps most prominently at work. Digital technologies are contributing more and more to the socio-economic development of countries worldwide. But to fully exploit their transformative potential, digital skills must be cultivated at all levels – from the local to the national.

11/10/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

Every day, ITU works together with a large community of partners from around the world with one common goal: to connect the unconnected and make sure that everyone, regardless of gender, has the chance to enjoy the benefits of being online.

06/10/2022​​​

ITU News

We caught up with Generation Connect Youth Envoy Horace Chipembere to learn more about bridging the digital gender divide. Horace runs HerforTech, an initiative that promotes digital skills development to empower women and girls in Malawi.

13/09/2022​​​

ITU News

The Dominican Republic has prepared a key national regulation to ensure the systematic and coordinated disposal of electrical and electronic equipment, including old and discarded phones, tablets, computers, and other information and communication technology gear.

09/08/2022​​​

ITU News

The ITU Americas Regional Office visited a digital community centre in rural Argentina to learn more about the role of digital skills, technology, and connectivity in indigenous communities, and the ITU project on the promotion of digital skills training to benefit youth capacity development and economic integration.

05/08/2022​​​

ITU News

The latest issue of the ITU News Magazine covers the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), recently held in Kigali, Rwanda. WTDC brought global information and communication technology (ICT) leaders together to develop new models of collaboration for connectivity in this final Decade of Action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

04/08/2022​​​

Ruslan Kenzhebekovich Abdikalikov, Chair of the Information Security Committee formed under the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry

Kazakhstan has approved and started implementing its national "Cyber Shield of Kazakhstan" cybersecurity concept. What were the preconditions and the development process for this plan?

26/07/2022​​​

ITU News

We caught up with Lucas Binnah Koomson, a training instructor on the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications’ (GIFEC) Digital Transformation Centre Project, to learn more about how digital skills training is impacting the present and future in Ghana.

20/07/2022​​​

ITU News

A proposed open-source research and development centre in Barcelona promises to accelerate the Giga initiative, which is working to connect every school in the world to the Internet. The Governments of Spain, Catalonia, and Barcelona are working with UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the key United Nations agencies behind Giga – to move forward on plans for the centre's establishment in the city.

19/07/2022​​​

ITU News

We caught up with Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation and Chair of the recent World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) held in Kigali, Rwanda, by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

15/07/2022​​​

Emmanuel C. Ogu, Lecturer of Computer Science & Information Technology, Babcock University

The realities of the modern digital era have challenged traditional approaches to learning and skills acquisition. Among the first consequences of COVID-19 was a shift to remote teaching and rapid uptake of educational technologies, also known as "edtech", all over the world.

08/07/2022​​​

ITU News

The ITU Development Sector (ITU-D) Network of Women (NoW) has put gender concerns at the forefront of global initiatives to connect the unconnected. The recent World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), held in Kigali, Rwanda, between 6 and 16 June, included key discussions organized by the NoW in ITU-D.

07/07/2022​​​

ITU News

The recent World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in Kigali, Rwanda, underlined the growing commitment to ensure gender equality in digital development along with pushing for meaningful global connectivity.

28/06/2022​​​

ITU News

As the developed world explores Web3 and upgrades to 5G cellular networks, many rural communities in developing countries remain far away from basic infrastructure like a simple Internet connection. ​Even people with access often struggle to stay connected or to benefit meaningfully from their connectivity. Rwanda – host of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – provides a case in point.

14/06/2022​​​

Marco Obiso, Head of Cybersecurity Division, ITU; Isabel Neto, Practice Manager, Digital Development, World Bank; and Marjo Baayen, Director of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise

Countries worldwide—and developing countries in particular—recognize the need for digital transformation to foster economic growth, improve efficiency, enable skills development, and advance human and social development.

10/06/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Five billion. That’s the number of people online today. Thirty years. That’s how long it has taken us to get from zero to five billion. That’s remarkable. And yet the newly launched Global Connectivity Report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) tells us we cannot be satisfied. It tells us that the potential of digital connectivity is still largely untapped.

08/06/2022​​​

ITU News

Recent months have seen Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, take several leaps forward in digital development, underlining the rapid momentum of the East African country. Last November, the Rwanda Innovation Fund (RIF) was launched to support disruptive and innovative companies that offer solutions to the region’s challenges, through a public-private partnership between the government and investment manager Angaza Capital.

07/06/2022​​​

Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General

Yesterday, I addressed the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in Kigali, Rwanda, where members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are exploring how to connect the unconnected to achieve sustainable development. Kigali is one of Africa’s great cities, and Rwanda is a model of digital transformation for the continent and the world.

06/06/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau​, ITU

Forty years have passed since the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) set up the Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development, led by the late Sir Donald Maitland, a former UK diplomat and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

04/06/2022​​​

Othman Almoamar, Amani Alkhiami, Ali Al Farhan, and Yara Ghouth – the Saudi youth delegation to ITU’s Generation Connect Global Youth Summit

Those under 30 years of age comprise approximately half of the world’s population today. As a result, a fundamental question repeatedly comes to mind: are today’s young people ready for their future?

03/06/2022​​​

ITU News

Digital companies are playing a growing role in the race to eliminate harmful emissions from industry, transport, energy production, and other activities. By purchasing growing shares of renewable energy, investing in carbon removal, and issuing green bonds, the technology firms driving the world’s digital transformation have also come to the forefront in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

02/06/2022​​​

ITU News

As the first Generation Connect Global Youth Summit kicks off today, some of the key participants have shared their motivations for attending the three-day gathering in Kigali, Rwanda. Many of the designated youth envoys, identified through Generation Connect hubs around the world, are intent on addressing specific digital transformation challenges.

01/06/2022​​​

ITU News

Less than 20 per cent of e-waste – or discarded electrical and electronic devices – is collected from homes and institutions globally, according to the 2020 Global E-waste Monitor, a report from the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership. Rwanda, with about 7,000 tonnes of e-waste generated annually, has set out to do far better – and to set new benchmarks for African countries and the world in the sustainable use of digital devices and technologies.

30/05/2022​​​

ITU News

In the last 30 years, the number of Internet users worldwide has surged from just a few million to almost five billion today. But with one third of humanity still offline, huge connectivity potential remains untapped. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently reaffirmed the urgent need to connect everyone, everywhere to the Internet by 2030.

26/05/2022​​​

ITU News

Tomorrow’s technology movers and shakers are preparing to gather at the inaugural Generation Connect Global Youth Summit, taking place online and in person in Kigali, Rwanda, from 2 to 4 June. Young delegates from over 100 countries representing regions worldwide will discuss and debate a Call to Action for sustainable, inclusive digital transformation policies.

23/05/2022​​​

Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; Frank van Cappelle, Senior Adviser, Education, and Global Lead, Digital Learning, UNICEF; and Jake Bell, Senior International Program Manager, Code.org​​​

The ability to own a mobile device and access the Internet can be life-changing. The information, services, and learning tools available online are benefitting billions of people worldwide, and the number of mobile users and people connected to the worldwide web keeps growing each year.

10/05/2022​​​

ITU News

Representatives from 13 new centres fostering digital skills in developing countries visited the headquarters of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in March to kick-off phase two of the Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative, a joint initiative with technology conglomerate Cisco. ITU – a United Nations specialized agency that works closely with governments and the private sector – promotes inclusive global “digital transformation” as a key element to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

04/05/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

​​​​​​In September 2013, young leaders from around the world gathered at the BYND 2015 Global Youth Summit in Costa Rica to voice their views on the digital future they wanted. I was impressed at how quickly and readily young people assumed responsibility in their roles as innovators, creators, and solution-shapers for the digital future. 

28/04/2022​​​

ITU News

​​​​​​Girls and young women around the world face structural challenges in gaining equal access to the Internet. Among the many inequalities in the digital world, online harassment and violence are significant barriers for girls and women’s full participation there. These barriers only grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, as digital platforms became more widely relied upon.

19/04/2022​​​

ITU News

​​​​​​The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have announced a new set of UN targets for universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be achieved by 2030. ​

11/04/2022​​​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

With the information and communication technology (ICT) boom has come a huge increase in discarded electrical and electronic equipment, or ‘e-waste’. A record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was generated around the world in 2019, and this number is on the rise.​

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04/04/2022​​​

ITU News​

The digital skills shortage requires educational and capacity-building organizations, along with all other stakeholders, to urgently reform their training programmes. Only then can they equip the workforce with the necessary skills for countries’ economic development in the digital era.​

28/03/2022​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

On the eve of Part 1 of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UN LDC5), I took enormous pleasure in joining public and private partners for the launch of the next key building blocks in our ground-breaking Partner2Connect Digital Coalition. Partner2Connect is a global, leadership-level multi-stakeholder effort, constructed in close cooperation with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, and in line with the UN Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.​

25/3/2022​

ITU News

​Bocar Ba, Chief Executive Officer, Samena Telecommunications Council Digital transformation can only become a reality through concerted action that mobilizes broad support, including from the private sector. This was the key takeaway from a consultative meeting of industry leaders in the tech sector last month at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).​

17/3/2022​

ITU News

Internet connectivity became less affordable around the world in 2021, according to the latest statistical analysis by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). The share of people’s incomes spent on fixed broadband and mobile Internet services increased globally last year, in parallel with upticks in demand and usage compared to 2020, reveals an ITU-A4AI policy brief​, The affordability of ICT services 2021.​

16/3/2022​

ITU News​

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today announced its Partner2Connect pledging platform and an action framework to advance universal connectivity and digital transformation​. ITU’s Partner2Connect (P2C) Online Pledging Platform will help mobilize resources to transform societies, promote sustainable digital technology uptake, and ensure meaningful connectivity for everyone.​

8/3/2022​

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU

Megan Anduru knows first-hand how important it is for girls to be able to connect to the Internet, so they can learn the skills they need to succeed in a connected world. A young Kenyan teenager herself, she is deeply engaged in online safety and access. She is an information and communication technology (ICT) prefect at her school, a position that allows her to encourage other students to become part of the digital revolution.

3/3/2022​

Rosie McDonald, E-waste Data Associate Officer, ITU

As African countries brace for a warmer, drier future, researchers around the word are exploring ways the latest digital technologies could help with climate mitigation and adaptation. Student researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, for instance, have looked at how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can boost climate action in Africa’s energy and agriculture sectors.

23/2/2022​

ITU News

In May 2021, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) launched the ITU-UNDP Joint Facility for Global Digital Capacity to strengthen digital capacity of policymakers across the globe. Six months in, the partnership is showing its first results.​​

14/2/2022

Travis Heneveld, Director of Connectivity Solutions, Geeks Without Frontiers

Last-mile connectivity (LMC) coverage and usage gaps are significant obstacles to effective digital skills development, especially among underrepresented populations. This has only become clearer in the COVID-19 context, as connectivity became essential for the provision of vital economic and social community services.

10/2/2022

ITU News​

A few weeks ago, the world shared unprecedented satellite images and video of an underwater volcanic eruption the day before near the island nation of Tonga. Reported as “likely the biggest [eruption] recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years”, the 14 January event resulted in shockwaves recorded thousands of kilometres away, from New Zealand to Japan, and as far as Peru and the west coast of the United States.

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8/2/2022

ITU News

In a world where the Internet permeates nearly every facet of life, keeping children and youth safe online has become increasingly pressing for parents, teachers and caregivers everywhere.

8/2/2022

ITU News

Every seven minutes, a child dies because of violence. According to the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children, half of children around the world experience violence every year.

4/2/2022

Marco Obiso, Head, ITU Cybersecurity Division and Acting Chief, Digital Network Society Department

The world today is home to around 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24, with close to 90 per cent of them living in developing countries. This is the largest generation of youth in history. Youth voices, therefore, ought to be reflected and amplified in the world’s digital development dialogue. The time is now.

3/2/2022

Shalin Jyotishi, Senior Analyst, Education and Labour, New America and Fellow, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum

Access to affordable, reliable, Internet connectivity and digital literacy is no longer a “nice to have” for nation states. The COVID‑19 pandemic has illustrated the crucial role of high‑quality broadband access in advancing the physical, social, financial and emotional wellbeing of people all around the world.

20/1/2022

ITU News

Cybercriminality is on the rise worldwide. But in addition to a chronic global shortage of cybersecurity professionals to combat it, a significant gender gap persists in a field where three out of four cybersecurity professionals are men.

2/12/2021

ITU News

As the world contemplates education, jobs, and healthcare needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and companies have largely concurred on the need to “build back better”. Yet they struggle with specific ways to ensure no one is left behind.

2/12/2021

ITU News​

Agriculture makes up the largest part of the economy in the Republic of Niger. Rural communities, however, struggle with limited access to information and costly mobile services. Smallholder farmers often miss out on critical information, such as weather updates and market prices, with negative effects on productivity and profits.

29/11/2021​​​

ITU News

An estimated 37 per cent of the world’s population – or 2.9 billion people – have still never used the Internet.New data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), also reveal strong global growth in Internet use, with the estimated number of people who have used the Internet surging to 4.9 billion in 2021, from an estimated 4.1 billion in 2019.

29/11/2021

ITU News

Around the world, in every region, more young people are online than adults. And yet they are often left out of the conversation when it comes to creating the digital strategies and policies that impact them. Creating the digital leaders of tomorrow requires empowering the digital youth of today. The Kofi Annan Changemakers (KAC) and Generation Connect, the youth initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are joining forces to facilitate this.

17/11/2021​​​

ITU News

This year has seen the global regulatory community embrace the so-called “gold standard” for digital regulation.Fifth-generation collaborative regulation, or G5 for short, is part of an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) concept of continual technological development, with successive “generations” evolving from command-and-control public monopolies to collaborative regulation across institutions and stakeholders as part of a digital economy.

19/11/2021​​​

ITU News

As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, the economic cost of digital exclusion is higher than the cost of closing the infrastructure, affordability, gender, and other gaps that persist.With 60 per cent of global GDP expected to rely on digital communication technologies by 2022, vulnerable populations in both developing and developed countries who are unable to connect to or use digital technologies risk being left behind in the post-pandemic recovery, leading to potentially heavier knock-on effects.

25/11/2021

ITU News

Connecting Humanity, a study by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), indicates the need for investments worth an estimated USD 428 billion worldwide to ensure that people all over the world enjoy unhindered digital access. Universal access depends on connecting the remaining three billion people aged ten and older — still nearly half of the world’s population — to broadband Internet by 2030.

25/11/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

For many of us, the Internet has evolved into an indispensable need, with connectivity becoming ever-more crucial to provide a wide range of digital services. This took on a new meaning with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the emergence of COVID-19 more than a year and a half ago, international bandwidth usage has continued to grow. Yet still, almost half of the world’s population remains unconnected. The connectivity challenge remains especially severe for remote or isolated communities, far from the network infrastructure that has spread across all major continents.

2/11/2021

ITU News

Of the 3.7 billion people around the world who still lack access to the Internet, nearly 370 million are under 25 years of age. Millions of children still leave school each year without any digital skills, limiting their access to employment opportunities and to a wealth of information online. The chasm separating digital "haves" and "have-nots" prevents those children from reaching their full potential. But solutions are in sight thanks to new technologies, innovative business and finance solutions, and growing international cooperation to expand school connectivity.

2/11/2021

ITU News

The swift adoption of digital tools during the COVID 19 pandemic has shown the power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve daily lives – and how the inadequacy or outright lack of digital infrastructure can deprive entire communities of essential services. Broadband mapping – whereby regulators assess service availability and quality locally, nationally, and regionally - is essential for informed decision-making.

25/10/2021

ITU News

France's new requirements for longer-lasting electronics aim to encourage maintenance and consequently reduce electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) from discarded devices and appliances. The country's new Repairability Index also represents a key first step towards a circular economy for digital tech and household goods. As of the start of this year, France became the first European country to implement a legally binding repairability index, with a new set of criteria for manufacturers spanning five types of electronics and home appliances.

18/10/2021

ITU News

Rapid digital uptake all over the world – in our workplaces, institutions, and daily lives – comes as a double-edged sword for humanity’s future. While countries worldwide invest in new tech and infrastructure to keep up with innovative applications and fast-growing demand for digitalization, the subsequent piles of discarded electronic equipment – or e-waste – keep growing, too. Annual e-waste generation could reach 74.7 million tonnes by 2030. Moving towards a circular economy is critical for environmental, health and societal reasons. But it also makes sense in economic terms.

11/10/2021

ITU News

Many of the world's unconnected live in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The heavy reliance on broadband connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the negative impacts on communities suffering from digital exclusion, with the inability to access online services severely affecting education, healthcare, business and jobs, and access to vital government services. ITU data shows stark digital divides between LDCs and developed countries, as well as within LDCs themselves.

6/10/2021

ITU News

ITU News spoke to Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic about how digital technologies are advancing development and boosting economic growth. How do information and communication technologies (ICTs) fit into Montenegro’s social and economic development plans? ICTs have become an increasingly important tool for economic development, broadening people’s possibilities of using modern technologies, fostering the digital economy, and enhancing international cooperation. Rapid, secure digital infrastructure and e-services have helped overcome problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

21/09/2021​​​

ITU News

The world’s ever-faster adoption of digital technologies reflects collective endeavours by people of varied backgrounds and skillsets, largely at the national and local level. But who are the people behind it? How can digital inclusion be measured? What does it look like on the ground​?​ ​​

20/9/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, and Earle Courtenay Rattray, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS)

Aiming to pick up the pace on digital sustainability, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have joined forces to co-design a far-reaching digital inclusion project. Together, the two institutions aim to help bridge the persistent global digital divide.

13/9/2021

ITU News

Aiming to pick up the pace on digital sustainability, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have joined forces to co-design a far-reaching digital inclusion project. Together, the two institutions aim to help bridge the persistent global digital divide.

2/9/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU, and Mercy Wanjau, Acting Director-General, Communications Authority of Kenya, and GSR-21 Chair

Today’s digital economies are reaching across borders, far and wide. Digital regulation is pivotal to facilitate the flow of investment and services between industries and countries and to the build-out of high-capacity, resilient, open infrastructure for all.

1/9/2021

Mustapha Saeed and Sone Osakwe, Researchers at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa

As the world continues to recover from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, coping mechanisms such as increased use of virtual workspaces, online marketplaces and e-governance have become the norm. While this presents opportunities to revamp economies and streamline public service delivery, it may also heighten exposure to cybercrime.

26/8/2021

ITU News

Today’s decision makers increasingly recognize an important role for young people in helping solve the most formidable challenges now facing humanity. This is especially true in the mobilization of digital technologies to ensure a prosperous, equitable, sustainable future. "Young people will inherit a world that’s been dramatically reshaped by today’s technological advances," says Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

10/08/2021​​​

ITU News

Broadcasts of the 2020 Olympic Games – held in Tokyo, Japan, after a year’s delay, amid a spiralling global pandemic – have broken all kinds of records. While few could physically attend this time, fans worldwide experienced the emotions of the Games like never before thanks to new and innovative technologies. Olympic digital platforms attracted twice as many users compared to the last, Rio 2016, Games.

20/8/2021

Samaneh Tajalizadehkhoob, Principal Security, Stability & Resiliency Specialist, ICANN

Historically, women have been underrepresented in technology-related disciplines, particularly cybersecurity. This begins early on, with fewer females being interested in technology at the grade-school level, which results in fewer women choosing cybersecurity as a profession in industry or academia (read more about the science, technology, engineering, and math gap in this report).

19/8/2021

ITU News

One grey day in April, a group of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) staff met to test dozens of satellite phones and other terminals at the ITU headquarters in Geneva. “We have to prepare everything in advance so that when a disaster strikes, the only thing that we have to do is pack the equipment and take it to where it is needed,” explained Jake Spinnler from ITU’s Emergency Telecommunications Division.

9/8/2021

ITU News

The world’s poorest nations often lack access to opportunities, or even formal education, but they are brimming with ingenuity, talent, and entrepreneurial drive. Challenging circumstances tend to nurture innovators who instinctively learn sophisticated problem-solving skills to manage day-to-day life. To Diene Keita, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), "innovation is a major game changer to accelerate progress of the 2030 Agenda."

5/8/2021

Omar Mansoor Ansari, Acting Chair and Vice-Chair Technical, Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA)

The COVID-19 pandemic undid essential socioeconomic progress made in recent decades across Asia and the Pacific, including in Afghanistan, where such negative consequences are even more acutely felt after several decades of violence.

2/8/2021

ITU News

When Cyclone Tauktae struck India’s western coastal areas several months ago, it brought mass destruction of property and disrupted daily life in five Indian states. Despite the storm’s ‘extremely severe’ designation, the damage and loss of lives were less than expected. This was thanks in large part to national disaster preparation plans, underpinned by information and communication technologies (ICTs) and timely preparation by telecom operators.

28/7/2021

ITU News

Although we often talk about issues of a global nature, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the global digital divide, each region faces distinct challenges in tackling these. Information and communication technology (ICT) regulation is no different. Ahead of the latest Global Symposium for Regulators, GSR-21, regional experts met to discuss specific regulatory and economic challenges and identify key regulatory priorities at the regional level.

23/7/2021

ITU News

Born into poverty in Senegal in the 1970s, Lady Mariéme Jamme had the odds stacked against her. Marginalized and neglected, she lacked education and was trafficked as a young girl, she said. Yet she did not allow difficult circumstances to stop her from finding purpose in life, eventually becoming a leader and role model for women in the world of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

12/7/2021

ITU News

Like many countries, Montenegro has gone through a succession of lockdowns over the past year and a half, with economic and social activity moving largely into the online sphere. COVID-19 pandemic response measures have accelerated the digital transformation in the country of about 630,000 people. But this has also stretched Internet infrastructure.

08/7/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

As I prepared to attend the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) late last month, I realised I’d practically forgotten how to pack. This major industry event, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, would be my first official trip in nearly a year and a half. I was a regular traveller and a master of packing a small carry-on for a week. But I had clearly lost my knack. What did I need to bring?
Does anyone still use business cards? I hadn’t for at least 15 months. Plug adapters – check; band-aids – check; walking shoes – check. Not to mention hand sanitizer, protective masks, and a PCR test.

05/7/2021

ITU News

With one in three children connected to the Internet, many of those growing up today are active participants in the online world. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of children’s lives, affecting everything from how they learn to how they play and socialize. According to UNICEF, more than 1.5 billion children and young people have been affected by school closures worldwide. A Around the world, many children have connected to the Internet for the first time, unsupervised.

25/6/2021

ITU News

Well before COVID-19 the pandemic, many countries had already embarked on their Fourth Industrial Revolution, wherein the digital or “virtual” and physical, “real” worlds progressively converge. But navigating the so-called “4IR” is not easy – especially for developing countries, where the benefits of new tech can be very unevenly distributed. By early 2019, as policy-makers and regulators across the developing world struggled with the growing digital divide, the onset of the pandemic suddenly made it worse.

15/6/2021

Dr. Sigurður Emil Pálsson, Chief National Cyber Security Adviser, Ministry of Transport and Local Government, Iceland

A booming data-centre industry and plans to improve connectivity are amplifying Iceland’s role in the global digital ecosystem. But as the country prepares to implement technologies from 5G to big data to meet its digital transformation goals, challenges persist – with cybersecurity chief among them. Experts estimate that Iceland loses nearly USD 72 million (ISK 10 billion) to cybercrime each year – equivalent to roughly 0.3 per cent of the north Atlantic island nation’s gross domestic product.

10/6/2021

Stephen Bereaux, Deputy to the Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

For me, there is one word that has defined the past year: together. During the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were stronger together. Now, we are working to build back better together as we slowly start to recover. As a former regulator, I know that the best way to close the widening digital gap and achieve meaningful and inclusive connectivity for all is by working together.

4/6/2021

ITU News

Around the globe, every living human being is producing 7.3 kilograms of e-waste, otherwise known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), every year. In 2019 alone, the world generated an estimated 53.6 million tonnes of global e-waste, according to the latest Global E-waste Monitor.While those in developed countries produce more than their share, the problem is growing fast across the developing world, too. And in the end, e-waste from anywhere and everywhere threatens all our ecosystems.

1/6/2021

Thierry Geiger, Head, Data and Analytics Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Data is critical to our goal of connecting the world. It tells us where we were, where we are, what works and what doesn’t. It is a key ingredient of empirical research for establishing correlation, determining causality, identifying good practices, and formulating policy recommendations. Since the advent of the Internet, data volumes have grown exponentially. And yet, reliable and meaningful data remain surprisingly scant, because producing such data is often complex, costly, and time-consuming.

28​/5/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director

Every year, on the fourth Thursday in April, International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated around the world. The associated activities encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and especially information and communication technologies (ICTs).​​​It's one of my favourite days of the year. And though we celebrated it virtually this time, the 10th anniversary of Girls in ICT Day was more exciting and inspiring than ever.​

14/05/2021​​​

ITU News

COVID-19 has put the world on a steep learning curve – not least for university students. Students at the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (MTUCI) are familiar with the challenge, having been forced by the pandemic to study online for the better part of last year. But MTUCI, already focused on making the most of digital tech, may have been better prepared than most schools and universities for the sudden shift to remote learning. 

13​/5/2021

ITU News

What will it cost to connect the world and bridge the current digital divide? How and where can we find the money to fund the global digital transformation? Financing connectivity is recognized as a key priority in the United Nations Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.​​ ​During a recent high-level debate on digital cooperation and connectivity, the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly urged the global community to work creatively with public and private stakeholders to forge a new paradigm to drive digital development.

7/5/2021

ITU News

COVID-19 has spurred online searches for consultations and diagnoses among medical practitioners and patients alike. But with only about 51 per cent of the global population using the Internet, the risk of a digital gap further entrenching health inequity looms large. At the same time, as technological change advances, the global health workforce must be equipped with new skills, ideally supported by policy makers who can understand and implement digital health strategies and infrastructure.

3/5/2021

Abdelmadjid Loumi, Vice-Rapporteur for Question 1/2, Algérie Telecom

The sun is rising on a Japanese rooftop fragrant with muskmelons. Amid the greenery, a network of monitors and sensors pulsates reassuringly. The idyllic, glass-enclosed roofscape provides a real-life platform for digital agriculture – one of many applications with the potential to feed smart cities of the future. But before this verdant vision can become reality, certain enabling conditions must be in place.

30/4/2021

Sonia Jorge, Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI)

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us take for granted the ability to maintain a semblance of normality through online exchanges and virtual communities. Digital technologies – rooted fundamentally in connectivity through the Internet – sustain life, health, education, and economies.

26/4/2021

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

What are the results of a full year of working and learning from home? For some of my friends, it’s been improved cooking skills thanks to online tutorials, gaining new proficiency with digital technologies or simply spending more time with immediate family. For me, it’s been a little bit of the above together with a desktop full of online webinar backgrounds from the many great programmes and initiatives hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and partners throughout the year.

15/4/2021

ITU News

International Girls in ICT Day took place for the first time ten years ago. This worldwide commemoration, now held annually on the fourth Thursday of every April, celebrates girls committed to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It offers them information and encouragement to choose

15/4/2021

Diversity and inclusionSocial Impact

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Young people around the world are powerful drivers of innovation, highly motivated to improve their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. The Generation Connect initiative gives them a voice, with the opportunity to be empowered, to be engaged, and to help advance the global digital development agenda for present and future generations.

6/4/2021

Diversity and inclusion

Sylvia Poll, Head, Digital Society Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Sport and information and communication technologies (ICTs) have something surprising in common: both are drivers of gender equality and women’s empowerment. By teaching teamwork, self-reliance, and resilience, sport and ICTs can provide women and girls with the social connections they need to build self-confidence and create strong communities.

29/3/2021

CybersecurityCapacity Building

ITU News

The Bahamas has launched a project with ITU to set up a national Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) to help protect the small island country’s critical digital infrastructure and data. The National Cybersecurity Project, started in January and officially launched in February at national level, aims to help assess current Bahamian capabilities in this rapidly evolving field, as well as develop its National Cybersecurity Strategy.

29/3/2021

Diversity and inclusionCapacity BuildingSocial Impact

ITU News

Despite having no limbs, Joanne O’Riordan can type 42 words per minute. But while attending elementary school in rural Ireland, the 24-year-old sports journalist used to struggle to complete her homework. It was not for lack of arms and legs, she said, but rather because of her limited access to broadband Internet.

29/3/2021

Capacity BuildingDiversity and InclusionSocial Impact

Jaroslaw Ponder, Head of the ITU Office for Europe

Despite information and communication technologies (ICTs) touching nearly every aspect of life, their wide-ranging benefits can remain largely out of reach for persons with disabilities. Ensuring full accessibility of ICTs and related services requires strategic and bold regulations and policies, mainly at the regional and national levels.

8/3/2021

Diversity and InclusionSocial ImpactCapacity Building

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Thinking back over my long career at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), I remember arriving at my first-ever ITU Women’s Breakfast at the 1993 Regional Telecommunication Development Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Singapore.

8/3/2021

Diversity and InclusionSocial ImpactCapacity Building

Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General

Today is International Women’s Day, and the theme this year is Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world. Never before has the need for women to take on a leadership role in creating a more just and equal digital future been more important.

26/2/2021

Digital TransformationDigital EconomyCapacity BuildingInfrastructureSocial Impact

ITU News

ITU News caught up with Slovenia’s Minister of Public Administration, Boštjan Koritnik, to hear how the country is using technology to fight COVID-19, advance digital development, and eventually bring meaningful connectivity to all its citizens.

19/2/2021

Digital TransformationInfrastructureCapacity Building

ITU News

Last year saw a massive shift of the economy and our lives to the digital sphere – at least for those who were able to be online. This abrupt shift was no different for the United Nations and ITU, as the UN specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) was quick to use its in-house expertise to adapt our tools and processes to this new digital reality.

15/2/2021

Policy and RegulationCapacity BuildingDigital TransformationDiversity and InclusionInfrastructureSocial Impact

Nancy Sundberg, Senior Programme Officer, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Digital markets are evolving at an increasingly rapid clip and have the potential to dynamize all economic sectors through digital transformation. A new generation of policies and regulation is geared towards fast-tracking digital development and expanding meaningful connectivity.

15/4/2021

Capacity BuildingDigital TransformationDiversity and InclusionSocial Impact

ITU News

Connecting the 3.7 billion people who lack any form of online access, and providing an affordable and meaningful Internet connection for the hundreds of millions more, are not feats that any entity can accomplish alone.

9/2/2021

Diversity and inclusionCapacity Building

Katalin Baracsi, Family Law, Social Media and Internet Safety specialist

I met Sango in the summer of 2020. In the midst of the pandemic, I was able to learn about the new ITU Child Online Protection (COP) Guidelines. Alongside other international experts on child online protection, governments, private sector representatives and children, I was introduced to the mascot of ITU’s Child Online Protection Initiative, who – as I learned – was entirely created by children and launched on Safer Internet Day 2020.

6/2/2021

Digital TransformationEmergency CommunicationInfrastructureNetwork ManagementCapacity Building

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Least developed countries (LDCs) are characterized as low-income countries with severe structural impediments, vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks. Graduating from LDC status requires a mix of careful deliberation, concerted efforts, and strategic leadership – no small feat for any country, never mind a Pacific island nation prone to frequent cyclones and other extreme weather.

15/4/2021

Digital EconomyPolicy and RegulationDigital Transformation

Raúl Katz, Director, Business Strategy Research at Columbia Institute for Tele-Information; President, Telecom Advisory Services

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its relentless spread, governments, regulators, academics, and the global information and communication technology (ICT) community keep rethinking policy and regulatory frameworks to mitigate the effects of the crisis and chart a way out of it.

3/2/2021

Digital EconomyInfrastructure

ITU News

In the age of COVID-19, communication is more essential than ever. Your mobile device is indispensable when it comes to connecting with loved ones – and to a world faced with a global pandemic. Mobile devices are also one of the most important means of communication in terms of trade and commerce since buyer and service provider or seller come into direct contact through voice and text-based services.

28/1/2021

Digital TransformationDigital EconomyInfrastructuretPolicy and Regulation

Jaroslaw Ponder, Head of ITU Office for Europe

"Europe's mix of enabling regulatory environments, robust connectivity infrastructure and the lively ecosystem of digital technology providers is fuelling the Region's transformation and has proven critical in the resilience during the COVID 19 pandemic," remarked Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU, as she welcomed participants of the ITU Regional Regulatory Forum for Europe on Regulation supporting digital transformation.

19/1/2021

Digital TransformationEmergency CommunicationsInfrastructure

ITU News

"Welcome to the voicemail of the platform for the prevention of coronavirus. To prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Government of Niger and the Ministry of Public Health encourage the population to adopt the following measures." So begins the message Nigeriens hear after dialling 701 and connecting to the voicemail of the Ministry of Public Health.

13/1/2021

CybersecurityCapacity Building

ITU News

ITU News recently connected with H.E. Károly Solymár, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary, to learn more about how Hungary is implementing child online protection (COP) at the national level – and the role of ITU in supporting this work.

4/1/2021

5GCapacity BuildingNetwork ManagementInfrastructureDigital Transformation

Aamir Riaz, Programme Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Last year, we witnessed dramatic changes in the way we live and work due to COVID-19. Our global dependence on digital technology seemed to skyrocket almost overnight, as many of us were forced to switch from offline to online modes of work and life. At the same time, the value of resilient and reliable digital infrastructure and networks has never been clearer or timelier, especially given the rapid rollout of 5G networks and services across the globe.

3/11/2020

Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a series of socioeconomic changes in our lives, societies and economies. We now rely on digital technology and connectivity more than ever to virtually conduct essential functions under lockdowns.

27/8/2020

Rury Demsey, Digital Inclusion Junior Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

This year, girls and young women are celebrating Girls in ICT Day virtually in Thailand. Together with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) of Thailand, ITU launched the event on 17 August 2020. Key supporters of the event include UNESCAP, FAO, UNESCO, Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), Cisco Systems, and DTAC.

17/7/2020

ITU News

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT), one of three ITU Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) in the Asia-Pacific region, started rolling out its training plan, following a delayed start amid the COIVD-19 pandemic.

19/5/2020

ITU News

ITU and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Kacific) have joined forces to boost the capacity of Vanuatu to provide a reliable communications network when disasters strike – and to improve connectivity to boost socio-economic development.

11/5/2020

Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

I joined the ITU Regional Office at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In responding to the pandemic and planning recovery, digital technology and connectivity have gained increasing recognition as an effective tool to tackle challenges in the health sector and ensure the continuation of essential social and economic functions across the globe. My journey at ITU started in the midst of a flurry of global and regional actions.

18/3/2020

ITU News

ITU and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Kacific) have partnered to boost the capacity of Pacific Island States, in particular to remote and outer islands, using satellite communications. This increased connectivity will help foster socio-economic development in the region – for example, by providing access to online education tools for children in Samoa – and is vital to ensuring a reliable communications network when disasters strike.