World telecom meet lays roadmap for growth

HYDERABAD - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Friday adopted the Hyderabad Action Plan, outlining a road map to foster the global development of information and communication technology (ICT) networks and services over the next four years.

The roll-out of next-generation networks and increased access to broadband services, wireless technologies and the Internet were recognised by the UN agency’s fifth World Telecommunication Development Conference as catalysts to achieve the broader development goals.

“Broad access to telecommunications and ICTs is essential for the world’s collective economic, social and cultural development, and the building of a global information society,” the Hyderabad declaration said.

The fifth World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10), May 24-June 4, was attended by 924 participants, including 758 government delegates from 138 countries.

Policy-makers and regulators pledged to promote affordable access to telecommunications and ICTs aimed at fostering sustainable development worldwide, with attention given to least developed countries (LDCs) and countries with special needs.

New opportunities arising from the widespread use of ICTs were also cited in improving e-government services such as healthcare and education and to step up the drive to alleviate poverty and create jobs, especially among poor and marginalised populations, including women, children, indigenous peoples and people with disabilities.

“Mobile telephony has grown phenomenally, and as we approach the five billion-mark for mobile subscriptions later this year, it is considered to be the most rapidly adopted technology in history,” ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré while addressing the closing session of WTDC-10.

“Yet, the digital divide remains, particularly where accessibility to broadband services and the Internet is concerned. This broadband divide must be addressed by governments and industry as a priority if we are to fully utilise the capacity of ICTs to meet the Millennium Development Goals,” he said.

The conference noted that digital divide is compounded by disparities in broadband access and infrastructure between and within countries, in particular between urban and rural areas.

Public and private partnerships need to be strengthened, in order to explore and further develop new and innovative ways of financing development projects, in close collaboration with international, regional and national financing and investment institutions, the declaration said.