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. |
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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