ITU Adopts Road-Map To Foster ICT Growth

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has adopted a road map to foster global development of telecommunications and ICT.

This was contained in a statement issued at the end of ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) in Hyderabad, India, on Friday.

The statement made available to the newsmen in Lagos, said that the “Hyderabad Action Plan” consisted of a comprehensive package that would promote equitable and sustainable development of networks and services worldwide.

It said that the road map was expected to accelerate global development in ICT over the next four-year cycle.

The statement said that the road map had identified five programmes which included information and communication infrastructure and technology development, Cybersecurity, ICT applications and IP-based network-related issues and enabling environment.

“The Action plan recognised that the roll-out of Next-Generation Networks (NGN) and increased access to broadband services, wireless technologies and the Internet as catalysts to achieve the broader development goals,” it said.

The statement quoted Mr P.J. Thomas, Secretary of the Department of  Telecommunications of the Government of India, who was elected Chairman of the Conference, as saying that broadband access would bring new opportunities for interaction amongst people.

He said that it would also bring new opportunities for sharing of the world’s knowledge resources and expertise, for transforming people’s lives, and for contributing to the global development agenda.

“The increasing role of ICT in the life of the common man cannot be over-emphasised, keeping in view the latest technological developments in ICT,’’ he said.

The fifth World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) was held from May 24 to June 4.