Opening of Wireless Internet Opportunity for Developing Nations Conference in New York
27 Jun 2003The Vice-Chair of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh said that “The speed of global technological and economic transformation demands urgent action on a global scale to turn the Digital Divide into digital opportunities for all.”
This came in the opening speech delivered by Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, during his chairmanship of the “Conference on the Wireless Internet Opportunity for Developing Nations” at the UN headquarters in New York that was organized by the UN in collaboration with the Wireless Internet Institute and attended by an elite group of leaders from the IT, telecommunications and economy sectors worldwide. He clarified that high-quality wireless internet technology affords enormous growth opportunities for peoples that live in poverty and rural areas.
Abu-Ghazaleh declared that he will present a global action plan to the conference on the Information Society that is to be convened next September, which will include suggestions on how major interested parties can support the advancement of international efforts to bridge the digital gap and enhance progressive wireless technology in developing nations.
He called for the convention of a conference for granting parties, in order to collect the necessary financial resources to support the creation process of the global action plan details and what executive steps follow it. He expressed his conviction that this is an ambitious yet achievable goal.
Abu-Ghazaleh had also delivered the speech of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the conference.
The wireless internet, known as WiFi, allows internet usage without connecting the computer to the phone line, which allows developing nations to overcome the telecommunications gap resulting from the non-availability of the telecommunications infrastructure.
It is expected that this technology will represent a historical leap in the world of information and knowledge that is similar or surpasses in importance the cellular phone revolution.
This technology will make cheap electronic communication possible through technologies that connect the internet to telecommunications devices on Arab radio signals (broadband) and other communication devices.
The first beneficiary of this communications revolution will be developing nations and regions outside cities and poor areas, due to the simplicity and affordability of communication.
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