Dubai: In order to realise the full potential of broadband, it is essential to roll out high-speed broadband networks and make it affordable as well, said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré.
Today there are 1.5 billion smartphones, he said, adding that it is expected to double in the next few years. Most of this growth is expected to come from developing countries.
“Fixed line subscriptions are continuing to fall and now stand at over 82 million fewer than they were in the beginning of 2010. Public and private sector will work together to invest in to roll out necessary infrastructure for broadband,” Touré said.
“The broadband universe is evolving incredibly quickly, especially with the advent of mobile broadband, which is the fastest growing technology in human history. Most of this growth will come in developing countries, if the pattern of recent years continues to be repeated — with 90 per cent of the mobile growth and over 80 per cent of the growth in Internet users coming from the developing world over the past four years.”
He further stressed that there is a need to continue measuring progress in order to see what still needs to be done. “What we decide and define here in Dubai over the next two weeks will shape not just the future of ICT development over the next four years — but the future shape of the very world we live in,” he said.
