“We are on the verge of achieving universal and meaningful connectivity,” stated Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU. “Thanks to these new commitments, millions of people worldwide will now have access to affordable and accessible connectivity.”
Major investments from e&, China Telecom, Ooredoo, and VEON further support the ITU’s efforts to connect the world, according to Bogdan-Martin.
Data from the specialized UN agency shows that 2.6 billion people are still without internet access globally, highlighting the need for continued innovation in communication technology.
The ITU emphasizes the importance of telecommunications infrastructure in achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, which can help bridge the digital divide and address development challenges in areas such as education, healthcare, government services, and trade.
To reach this goal, the ITU has set a target of $100 billion in investments by 2026, with the aim of providing the necessary resources and expertise to extend connectivity and digital transformation to every part of the world.
In 2021, the ITU launched Partner2Connect, which has already received commitments from over 400 organizations to invest more than $46 billion in the coming years towards achieving universal and meaningful connectivity.
These new commitments will make significant progress in various regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, by providing affordable and accessible network connectivity and digital services. In addition, these investments will bring information and communication services to over 80 million people in remote villages in China and support the reconstruction of Ukraine by providing essential connectivity and digital services.
The ITU also announced that it now has over 1,000 members from various industries, academia, and organizations, in addition to its 193 Member States. This is a significant milestone for the 159-year-old organization, according to the ITU.
Bogdan-Martin emphasized the importance of this multi-stakeholder collaboration in bridging the digital divide and creating an inclusive, safe, and sustainable digital future for all within the UN system.