ICT development is the cornerstone of today’s accelerated digital transformation and will be central to building back better and ICT stakeholders should continue working together to make transformative technologies like 5G and others a force for good, for everyone, writes HOULIN ZHAO .

Many people see mobile phone communication as a natural tool and a part of our normal life. But I would like to point out the fact that all this has become possible thanks to the marvelous development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the last two decades.

Looking back on this period, the rapid development of mobile communications at the global level has been a major achievement, along with their enormous contribution to the social and economic development of the entire world.

I wish to highlight the role of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held by the United Nations, first in Geneva in 2003 and then in Tunis in 2005 – as well as the role of the WSIS Forum since 2006 – in the promotion of ICTs.

I would also like to recognize the leadership of all those in the telecommunication industry, without whom we would be in a very different situation today.

They have worked day in and day out, so that the rest of us can continue to work, study, and stay in touch with loved ones during this pandemic.

5G innovation

Fifth-generation mobile networks are a prime example of how much more can be done. We have seen a range of innovative 5G applications during this crisis, in areas ranging from healthcare and public safety to manufacturing and education.

Innovations that were unimaginable just a few years ago will rely on 5G mobile networks. ITU, as the UN specialized agency for ICTs, plays a central role in the development of these networks, both by managing the radio spectrum and by developing globally applicable standards. Last February, for example, ITU published detailed specifications of the terrestrial radio interfaces for International Mobile Telecommunications 2020 (IMT-2020).

These specifications are likely to be the backbone of the digital economy for at least the next decade, enabling the emergence of 5G systems that promise to support ICT-enabled innovation across numerous industries. These systems can usher industry and society into the world of intelligent automation. They can transform lives. But it will demand contributions from a wide range of technical and policy communities, and we will be successful only if we succeed in leaving no one behind.

A new mindset

Some countries have started 5G services. Strategies for 5G deployment have been established in many parts of the world. Regulators have already auctioned licenses to operate 5G networks in the frequency bands allocated in the Radio Regulations for land mobile service.

There has never been a better, or more critical, time to encourage investments in 5G and ICT development for everyone.

This means strengthening ICT infrastructure, but also investing in devices and digital skills.

The need more investments in ICT is at the heart of my long-standing strategy based on “four Is”: Infrastructure, Investment, Innovation, and Inclusiveness.

Perhaps above all, we need a new mindset. As I told ITU’s Council Member States a few days ago, we must dispel false perceptions that the ICT industry is always profitable and must not hesitate on ICT investment and development. The need for a new strategy at the national level has to be clearly identified, as we can no longer leave ICT to be developed as it is now through individual ecosystems.

Otherwise, I am afraid that bringing the other half of the world online by 2030 will be very difficult.

Last month, on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, the UN Secretary-General said it himself: we must connect the unconnected with affordable services by the end of the decade.

To achieve this, we need to redouble our efforts to promote 5G and other new technologies – and to bring their benefits to all.

Enabling environments

Telecommunication and ICTs have proven essential in these times of COVID-19. But the industry could not have kept them up and running without active support from governments.

I now count on policy-makers everywhere to create the conditions for a better investment environment.

ICT development is the cornerstone of today’s accelerated digital transformation and will be central to building back better. Let us continue working together to make transformative technologies like 5G and others a force for good, for everyone.

As we look beyond COVID and think about shaping Industry 4.0, let us deliver new policies for the digital economy – policies that can accelerate inclusive connectivity, access, and use.

• ITU Secretary-General Zhao made these remarks during the GSMA Ministerial Programme, as part of the 2021 Mobile World Congress.