Why do we need World Telecommunication and Information Society Day?

Today is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD).

In November 2006, at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Türkiye's Antalya held by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), it was decided May 17 would be celebrated as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day to promote awareness of the potential benefits that the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer to societies and economies.

May 17 also marks the anniversary of signing the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of ITU.

This year's WTISD theme is "empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies." The ITU urges the public and private sectors to pledge to achieve universal connectivity and digital transformation in these countries through its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.

It was in this vein that the United Nations on Wednesday demanded a tripling of pledges to fill the global digitalisation gap, asking countries and private sector members to hike the funding to $100 billion by 2026.

Global digitalisation gap

Even though internet usage has experienced significant growth in the past five years, approximately 2.7 billion individuals – one-third of the global population – remain without internet access.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of individuals are working and studying from home. Therefore, achieving digital inclusion for everyone has become a crucial issue, as public and private sectors need to put in tremendous efforts and investments to ensure every person gains internet access.

The digitalisation gap between countries grows according to their levels of development. Many of the 2.7 billion who have no internet access live in the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS).

A 2019 data by ITU says 87 percent of people were using the internet in developed countries, while this rate was 44 percent in developing countries.

On the other hand, the gap between urban and rural areas is much more significant in developing or underdeveloped countries. The need for more connectivity in rural areas is particularly severe in LDCs. Approximately 15 percent of the rural population in these countries live in regions without mobile coverage, and only a 2G network covers 10 percent of the rural population.

"The digital connectivity divide separating the least developed countries from the rest of the world is widening," the ITU warned on Wednesday, launching an appeal for far more resources towards ensuring meaningful connectivity and digitalisation in the world's LDCs.

"Tech is at the top of the global agenda, but the benefits of digital technology are still out of reach for too many people," ITU chief Doreen Bogdan-Martin said in a statement.

"If we are serious about digitalising the world in a meaningful and sustainable way, we must take action to accelerate digital transformation for everyone," she added.

Partner2Connect

ITU launched the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition in September 2021, which collaborates with various stakeholders, including the UN, to promote meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally.

The coalition focuses explicitly on connecting hard-to-reach communities in LDCs, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states. The ITU said it began mobilising direct funding in February last year to bring LDCs online as quickly as possible.

"I am calling on all players and partners to join P2C and work together so we can achieve our goal of meaningfully connecting those 2.7 billion people who are still offline," says ITU chief Bogdan-Martin.

As of October 2022, 247 entities, including 94 governments, had submitted 552 pledges worth more than $29 billion for projects worldwide.

The coalition also collaborates with a select group of partner countries to support the progress of their national digital transformation strategies. This support involves implementing existing commitments and generating new ones to further their objectives.

Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Mauritania, and Cambodia are some least-developed countries confirmed as initial P2C partners.

The world's 46 LDCs are home to nearly one-third of the global offline population, and the internet is considered affordable in just two of those countries, Bangladesh and Bhutan.