The International Telecommunications Union said that mobile providers had committed a total of $9 billion to increase global connectivity.
The Times stated that, this was declared on Monday on the fringes of the Mobile World Congress by the Secretary-General of the ITU, Doreen Bogdan-Martin. These promises expand on the mobile industry’s strong support for ITU’s efforts to link the globe, according to a statement from the union.
In addition to the 193 Member States, the UN Digital Agency also declared that it now has over 1,000 members from business, academia, and organizations. With this milestone, the agency’s membership is at its largest and most diversified point in its history.
With the addition of these additional industry commitments, the total estimated value of anticipated infrastructure, service and support investments made by ITU to the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition since the platform’s launch in March 2022 has exceeded USD 46 billion.
The ITU Secretary-General stated that “the financial pledges will enable meaningful connection everywhere in the world.”
The GSMA’s Chief Regulatory Officer, John Giusti also offered commentary on the situation.
Among the pledges made during Mobile World Congress are:
ITU statistics indicates that 2.6 billion people globally are still not online. Telecommunications infrastructure is essential for bridging the global digital gap and overcoming development barriers in fields ranging from government services and trade to education and health. It is the backbone of connection and the digital revolution.
In order to offer the knowledge and resources needed to provide universal meaningful connection and sustainable digital transformation to every corner of the world, ITU has advocated for expenditures totaling USD 100 billion by 2026.
Partner2Connect pledges can help with other essential requirements, such as expanding digital inclusion and developing digital skills, in addition to infrastructure. Over the course of the next two to five years, it is anticipated that e&, China Telecom, Ooredoo, and VEON would execute their new pledges.
