Why e& pledged to boost meaningful connectivity
ITU News
A leading technology group has pledged to invest USD 6 billion between 2024 and 2026 to provide affordable, accessible digital network access and services across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
e& Group CEO Hatem Dowidar says answering the call with state-of-the-art connectivity upgrades “is really part of our DNA.”
The group’s markets range from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the world’s fastest mobile network and highest percentage of fibre penetration, to Pakistan and African countries with inadequate current networks.
“We know that having the infrastructure will help a lot with the advancement of economies, with inclusion, with making people’s life overall better,” Dowidar says.
e& underlined its infrastructure plans on 26 February with a commitment through the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition.
The online pledging platform launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2021 has mobilized commitments worth over USD 46 billion, aiming to extend meaningful connectivity to everyone worldwide.
Investing in customers
For e& customers in emerging markets, new financial, health, and educational services will increasingly hinge on high-speed connections via fibre or wireless broadband.
e& Group and ITU officials at MWC Barcelona 2024
“By making these investments, we’re able to serve those customers a lot better,” Dowidar says. “And we know that we’ll be rewarded in the future for it, by the overall economic prosperity that comes from digital inclusion, by allowing people to engage in more economic activities.”
This is one way tech can help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Image credit: ITU
