International Telecommunication Union

New figures released by International Telecommunication Union indicate that, by end 2014, there will be almost 3 billion Internet users, two-thirds of them coming from the developing world, and that the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach 2.3 billion globally.

• Fifty-five per cent of these subscriptions are expected to be in the developing world.
• Fixed-telephone subscriptions continue to decline: Results show that fixed-telephone penetration has been declining for the past five years. By end 2014, there will be about 100 million fewer fixed-telephone subscriptions than in 2009.
• Mobile-cellular subscriptions to hit nearly 7 billion: Mobile-cellular subscriptions will reach almost 7 billion by end 2014, and 3.6 billion of these will be in the Asia-Pacific region. The increase is mostly due to growth in the developing world where mobile-cellular subscriptions will account for 78 percent of the world’s total.
• Growth in fixed-broadband penetration slowing in developing countries: By end 2014, fixed-broadband penetration will have reached almost 10 percent globally.
• Mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach 2.3 billion globally by the end of 2014: Globally, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 32 percent by end 2014; in developed countries, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 84 per cent, a level four times as high as in developing countries (21%). The number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach 2.3 billion globally and 55 percent of all mobile-broadband subscriptions are expected to be in the developing world.
• Home Internet access approaches saturation levels in developed countries: By end 2014, 44 per cent of the world’s households will have Internet access. Close to one-third (31%) of households in developing countries will be connected to the Internet, compared with 78 per cent in developed countries. The analysis shows that household Internet access is approaching saturation levels in developed countries.
• Three billion people will use the Internet by the end of 2014: By end 2014, the number of Internet users globally will have reached almost 3 billion. Two-thirds of the world’s Internet users are from the developing world. This corresponds to an Internet-user penetration of 40 per cent globally, 78 per cent in developed countries and 32 per cent in developing countries. More than 90 per cent of the people who are not yet using the Internet are from the developing world.

Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed upon by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2000, which aimed at reducing world poverty, increasing the rate of development and improving global health.

Goal 4 was set up to reduce child mortality and Goal 5 was set up to improve maternal health.

According to World Health Organization, achieving Goal 4 on reducing child mortality requires universal coverage with key effective, affordable interventions including: care for newborns and their mothers; infant and young child feeding; vaccines; prevention and case management of pneumonia, diarrhea and sepsis; malaria control; and prevention and care of HIV/AIDS. Introduction of automated systems for patients such as SMS reminders about an appointment, an examination or a vaccination can greatly improve quality and efficiency of medical care.

Several examples illustrate the various uses for mobile health including: reducing child mortality and protecting mothers project in Oman; Mobile Phones for Integrated Health and Early Childhood Care and Development in Kenya; and Text4baby in the USA.

Through the sharing of data between hospitals, women have the option to choose the hospital where to give birth without depending on the hospital of their residence. With the latest e-services, in some countries women can access the information pre-natal to post-natal phase when they are able to view and add information to the child’s eHealth record, for example, the My Child’s eHealth Record mobile app in Australia.

Another program to raise awareness about health relies on voice calls to bring health services to illiterate populations. The “MOTHER” in India is a mobile-based voice health alert tool to reach rural women without basic literacy.

The Dubai Action Plan, adopted by the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference, sets the agenda for telecommunication and information and communication technology development over the next four years.

Under the theme ‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’, the Conference focused on development priorities and agreed on the programmes, projects and initiatives to implement them. The theme underlines ITU’s commitment to leverage broadband as a catalyst to meet the goals of sustainable development.

The Dubai Declaration states that “Universal and affordable access to telecommunications and information and communication technologies is essential for the world’s economic, social and cultural development, and contributes to building a global economy and information society. Widespread access to and accessibility of telecommunications and information and communication technologies applications and services provide new socio-economic opportunities for all people.”

The Dubai Action Plan is a comprehensive package that promotes the equitable, affordable, inclusive and sustainable development of telecommunications/ICT networks, applications and services. The objectives outlined in the Plan are:

1. To foster international cooperation on telecommunication and ICT issues
2. To foster an enabling environment conducive to ICT development and foster the development of ICT networks as well as relevant applications and services, including bridging the standardization gap
3. To enhance confidence and security in the use of ICTs and roll out of relevant applications and services
4. To build human and institutional capacity, promote digital inclusion and provide concentrated assistance to countries in special need
5. To enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster management efforts through telecommunications and ICTs

Following a meeting in February 2007, International Telecommunication Union and the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and a non-governmental organization called Communication Technologies (G3ict) entered into a cooperation that has since flourished beyond expectation and delivered essential tools in support of policy makers and advocacy organizations around the world, including:

1. The production of a global benchmarking on the implementation and promotion of the ICT accessibility dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);
2. Mapping the work of standards-developing organizations (SDOs) on ICT accessibility within the framework of the dispositions of the CRPD;
3. The development of an “e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities” in 2009, which mobilized more than 62 expert editors from around the world. Since inception, more than 70,000 unique visitors have used the Toolkit which is widely referenced around the world by regulators and policy makers.
4. The publication of Joint reports, such as “Making Television Accessible” (2011) and “Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible for Persons with Disabilities” (2012) published jointly by ITU’s Development Sector (ITU-D) and G3ict;
5. Collaboration at the annual M-Enabling Summit, held every year in Washington, DC. The M-Enabling Summit has established itself as the leading global forum for innovation in mobile accessibility and mobile assistive solutions for seniors and persons with disabilities.
6. The advocacy work at the UN level, such as the work conducted in 2013 for the 2014 High Level Meeting on Disability and Development which led to the publication of a report titled “The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework”, a joint initiative of ITU, UNESCO, G3ict, Microsoft, the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Telecentre.org Foundation, which advocated for the incorporation of ICT accessibility into the UN post-2015 Development Agenda.
7. The elaboration of a set of Model ICT Accessibility policies, a new initiative being developed with ITU-D. These model policies, being written by consultants under the joint supervision of ITU-D and G3ict, will provide a much-needed set of practical guidelines for the implementation of the dispositions of the CRPD, based on success factors and good practices observed around the world.

[Leblois serves on the Board of Directors of USICD, US International Council on Disabilities, and GAATES, Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments]

The ten-year review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society will be the focus of the WSIS+10 High-Level Event in Geneva, 10-13 June 2014.

Policy-makers, including Government Ministers and leaders from civil society, academia, business, and international organizations will address the progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005.

[Commentary] Everyone taking part in the Broadband Commission’s recent session in Dublin understands the ways in which broadband is impacting every aspect of our lives, while at the same time accelerating progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

However, we all share the same concern: how can we secure affordable access for all, in the shortest possible time, and in keeping with the goals of the Broadband Commission? In September the commission published its Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond report, along with a supporting manifesto which has been signed by 48 members of the commission to date.

The manifesto, presented at a side event of the 5th session of the United Nations Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals in September, states that: “Overcoming the digital divide makes sense not only on the basis of principles of fairness and justice; connecting the world makes sound commercial sense. The vital role of broadband needs to be acknowledged at the core of any post-2015 sustainable development framework, to ensure that all countries -- developed and developing alike -- are empowered to participate in the global digital economy.”

So, the question we faced in Dublin was not what to do; the recommendations of the report were clear, and we reviewed progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as well as progress on our task group’s activities. The discussion now was far more focused on how to most effectively get our messages across to national governments and leaders who influence the global agenda in order to ensure that broadband is affordable and accessible, and that its benefits reach as many people as possible.

International Telecommunication Union presented the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), a unique initiative launched by ITU and ABI Research to measure the levels of cybersecurity in countries, at a forum held in Dubai.

It underlies ITU’s commitment to strengthening cybersecurity and plugging the gaps worldwide while building capacity at the national level, particularly in developing countries. The long term aim is to drive further efforts in the adoption and integration of cybersecurity on a global scale. A comparison of national cybersecurity strategies will reveal those countries with high rankings in specific areas, and consequently highlight lesser known -- yet successful -- cybersecurity strategies. Based on questionnaire responses received by ITU Member States, a first analysis of cybersecurity development in the Arab region was compiled and one for the Africa region is under way. The objective is to release a global status of cybersecurity for 2014. “Greater connectivity also brings with it greater risk,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré.

“As our physical and cyber worlds overlap, there is an increased need to address the related challenges of ensuring security, human rights, rule of law, good governance and economic development.” Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau addressing the forum, said: “In embracing technological progress, cybersecurity must form an integral and invisible part of that process. Unfortunately, cybersecurity is not yet at the core of many national and industrial technology strategies.” The goal of the GCI is to help foster a global culture of cybersecurity and its integration at the core of information and communication technologies. “Countries need to be aware of their current capability level in cybersecurity and, at the same time, identify areas where cybersecurity needs to be enhanced,” Sanou stressed.

The sixth ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-14) opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a call to achieve universal broadband connectivity.

Under the theme ‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’, the conference will focus on development priorities in telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) and agree on the programmes, projects and initiatives to implement them. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates and Head of the UAE delegation was elected Chairman of the Conference. He noted that the focus on the theme ‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’ brings attention to the critical aspect of leading edge ICT in enhancing a nation’s development.

“Since the beginning of this Millennium, mobile cellular subscriptions have continued to rise, social media usage has rocketed, and an ever increasing number of people across the globe have been able to access the Internet, making use of the immeasurable quantity of information that greater connectivity provides,” said Al Ghanim. “Yet one of the most persisting concerns that face us all is the ‘digital divide’. Serious practical solutions are required to close the gap and stem this endemic inequality of access.” “ICTs, and in particular broadband networks, offer perhaps the greatest opportunity we have ever had to make rapid and profound advances in global social and economic development,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré. “By delivering efficiencies across so many areas, from education and healthcare to transportation, water and energy, broadband networks can quickly pay for themselves, creating a virtuous circle of investment, productivity and human development.”

One of the expected outcomes of WTDC-14 is the Dubai Action Plan -- which will set the agenda for telecommunication and information and communication technologies development over the next four years. The dialogue, which will shape the future of the telecommunication and ICT sector and its contribution to social and economic development, will focus on:

• Sound policies and regulatory frameworks that will foster investment and further develop telecom/ICT networks
• Improved access to ICT applications to provide people with services such as education, health, and empower them with the means to achieve sustainable development
• Increased safety and security in the use of telecoms/ICTs
• Capacity building in the area of ICTs
• Emergency telecommunications

Access to broadband could be the universal catalyst that lifts developing countries out of poverty and puts access to health care, education and basic social services within reach of all, according to the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

The Commission reiterated its call to International community to recognize the transformational potential of high-speed networks and ensure broadband penetration targets are specifically included in the UN post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. It also urged governments and international financing bodies to work to remove current barriers to investment.

Globally, as much as 95% of telecommunications infrastructure is private sector-funded, but better incentives are urgently needed if investment is to expand in line with the coming exponential growth of connected users and so-called ‘Internet of Things’ data streams. In the world’s 200 biggest cities, the number of connected devices is forecast to increase from an average of 400 devices per square kilometer to over 13,000 devices per square kilometer by 2016.

The International Telecommunication Union/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development’s latest State of Broadband report calls for the universal adoption of broadband-friendly practices and policies, so that everyone can take advantage of the benefits offered by broadband.

The report seeks to answer a number of questions, which can help us realize the potential of universal broadband connectivity. It contains featured insights from thought leaders and case-studies that can help to answer the ever pressing question: How best to connect everyone? Today, there are around 9 billion connected devices, which ITU forecasts could reach 25 billion connected devices by 2020 (ITU 2012).

To help ensure the vision of the ‘Internet of Things’ becomes a reality, it is vital to ensure affordability and create the necessary supportive ecosystem, including: a conducive regulatory environment; reduced disparities in access, speed, and functionality; improved availability of spectrum at reasonable cost; affordable devices; more local language content; and a range of new apps.

Mobile broadband service is not simply about giving people access to search engines and social networks. Universal broadband is about enabling mobile solutions that can change entire sectors, such as in the field of e-health. Here, mobile solutions are connecting doctors and patients through wireless devices such as heart monitors and enabling elderly people to live at home, self-sufficiently, for longer. While availability and affordability gaps affect people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America disproportionately, innovations in broadband are helping the world’s poor bridge the digital divide and are contributing to economic, social and cultural development. When considering the challenge of reaching the next billion broadband users, despite the challenges and the overwhelming and increasing scale of demand, the socio-economic benefits of mobile and broadband services remain clear.