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Saturday, January 20, 2007
Pravin Prashant
ITU Telecom World is a global networking platform for the ICT industry and it was here that the newly merged Alcatel-Lucent Technologies chose to unveil its new brand identity and mission. A lot many partnerships were formed and announced during the event. Microsoft and BT announced a deal to provide IPTV services in the UK; and a pan Asian mobile TV consortium was hatched between SK Telecom, Toshiba, Global Media Networks, and International Mobile Broadcasting to provide the first mobile TV roaming service in Asia. Global research specialists, Yankee Group and Analysys International launched partnership to offer research that puts the China market in the global scenario. In addition, Aperto Networks formed a WiSE partnership of 50 companies to drive WiMAX interoperability.
It was for the first time that ITU Telecom World was held outside Palexpo, Geneva in Asia World Expo, Hong Kong. This was in response to demand from ITU members and in recognition of Asia's role in fuelling ICT growth.
Hosted by the government of the People's Republic of China, and organized by ITU, the Telecom World 2006 stood out as a premiere international ICT and networking event of the year. The theme for this year was "Living the Digital World" and the focus was on exploring current and future lifestyles and how are they shaping ICT.
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Officials hit the button to mark the launch of ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006. From left to right are HKSAR Donald Tsang, China's NPC chairman Wu Bangguo, ITU secretary-general Yoshio Utsumi and Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus
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The audience during the Forum opening
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China Unicom stand
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A snapshot at the Samsung stand
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The event started with a glittering opening ceremony on 3rd December in the presence of His Excellency Wu Bangguo, chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China; Donald Tsang, chief executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Yoshio Utsumi, secretary general, ITU; along with Nobel laureate Professor Muhammed Yunus, founder and MD, Grameen Bank; and a host of other top ICT people from across the world.
Speaking at the inauguration, Yoshio Utsumi, secretary general, ITU used the occasion to urge participants at World 2006 to "take up the collective challenge, not only of growing our vibrant and exciting ICT sector, but also of working together to extend their benefits to millions of people currently left behind."
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'In developing countries, the focus is more on bridging the digital divide'
-Dr Hamadoun Touré, secretary general elect, ITU
What are your priorities for the next four years?
We have short-term as well as long-term goals but there are two main goals. First, bridging the digital divide and achieving millennium development goals as laid out by WSIS; second, is security in cyberspace.
We have broken international treaty to make the world a better place and also prevent potential cyber terrorism catastrophe that is damaging the whole world. This can be done only through ITU as we have the credibility in terms of development. In ITU, all partners' collaborative involvement is the key to success both in telecom as well as ICT. ITU as an organization has not been politicized and there are no different ideologies, which are advantages for ITU to resolve issues.
What are your priorities for developing economies?
In developing countries, the focus is more on bridging the digital divide. Being accepted by all concerned parties, public as well as private, I will look at active private sector involvement and achieve the task for which I have been hired in ITU.
What are the targets for millennium development goals?
The millennium development goals target is to connect one half of the world population through ICT by 2015. Focus is also on providing Internet access in every school and villages across the world. We have tied up with Grameen Bank to combine the power of ICTs with microcredit financing to connect the world. And for this, Cisco is planning to invest $1 mn for microcredit finance scheme. I expect lot of private sector involvement for this project.
We have to work in two main areas. First, creating a level playing field in the regulatory environment, and here we need more investment from private sector and competitors. Second, is in the area of capacity building and creating center of excellence in ITU that needs to be expanded. All these experiences would be helpful for India and China.
Three years down the line, what do you expect in ITU Telecom World 2009 in Geneva?
Technology is evolving and it is becoming more and wireless. Even software development is making it easier on the access front and will help in bridging the digital divide. In future, there will be more usage of speech recognition and it will evolve over next few years to a point where you need not read or write to access ICT.
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During his opening remarks, Professor Yunus outlined his plans for a new dynamic partnership between Grameen and ITU, together with Cisco Systems, Qualcomm and a newly formed consortium, Enclusion to form a virtual, global ICT Empowerment Network. In a separate announcement, Cisco Systems announced a pledge of $1 mn to support ICT related micro-financing initiatives within this empowerment network.
To help make this initiative a success, Grameen will reach out to more than 3,000 microfinance organizations and 100 mn borrowers worldwide, while ITU will provide support to its 191 member states and some 650 private sector members from across the world.
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