ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin announced today over USD 9 billion in investment commitments from mobile operator groups to extend global connectivity. The announcement, made at Mobile World Congress (MWC), builds on the mobile industry’s strong support to ITU’s efforts to connect the world.
Alongside the new commitments, the UN Digital Agency also announced that it now has over 1,000 industry, academia and organizational members in addition to its 193 Member States. This milestone marks the largest, most diverse membership in the agency’s history.
The new industry commitments raise to over USD 46 billion the total current value of planned investment in infrastructure, services and support to ITU’s Partner2Connect Digital Coalition since the platform opened in March 2022.
“Universal meaningful connectivity is within our grasp,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Thanks to these new commitments, millions of people will benefit from accessible and affordable connectivity across the world.”
partnerships that have shaped technology’s place in society,” said Bogdan-Martin. “This multi-stakeholder model of collaboration will continue to be a strong force in the UN system to bridge the digital divide and build an inclusive, safe and sustainable digital future for all.”
ITU’s industry members collaborate with governments, academia, and civil society to develop new international standards and guidelines that shape the future digital economy. ITU members together implement projects and initiatives extending access to digital services across the world.
Two-thirds of ITU’s sector members are from industry, with the rest divided between academia and regional or international organizations. They come from developed and developing economies in regions spanning the globe.