ITU Telecom World

Technology has been changing the lives of people with a disability across the world for many years. It broadly takes two forms: those technologies that enhance and augment the capacity of the individual such as wheelchairs, glasses or hearing aids, and those technologies that expand or enhance the environment to accommodate the diversity of human functioning. 

While some technologies can be defined as assistive, designed to address the needs of people with disability, others are far more mainstream, meeting the needs of a broad population and in doing so including functionality that supports those with additional needs. Such additional needs can include situational disabilities, where the environment reduces access for many for a short time. For instance, the same technology that allows a person to control their phone with their voice, as a result of a physical disability, also gives anyone control over their phone when they cannot touch it, such as when driving.

The demand for all forms of assistive technology (AT) is increasing globally, and it has become clear that traditional products and services have not proven capable of addressing the scale of the need. So our approach to both products and the AT ecosystem needs to be rebuilt with the breadth and depth of needs addressed. Such innovation and change can fairly be described as disruptive.

Such innovation is already impacting on traditional assistive technologies including the design and delivery of mobility aids and prosthetics. “Prosfit” from Bulgaria demonstrate how 3D printing offered a means to reduce the cost of providing prosthetic limbs by sharing expertise remotely to design and distribute the prosthetic, tailored to the individual and fitted locally. Other available products include the use of open licences to share and distribute resources to support communication and literacy. For example, “Global Symbols”, “Project Vive” and “eKitabu” create products and services based on open licenced technologies facilitating local manufacture and distribution of essential resources. Each demonstrates the value of an open approach in communities across the world including the Middle East, Latin America and Kenya, reaching people with disabilities in countries which were previously unable to make use of, or afford, traditional resources and solutions.

This diversity of solution offers us the means of meeting the needs of people with a disability across the world. Features built into our phones, tablets and computers give access to many who are blind, print- or hearing-impaired, or physically unable to manipulate a device without additional resources. Others benefit from the additional functions of free and open source technologies that can be added to such devices, allowing funds and time to be spent considering those with the greatest barriers to access. But making this happen is challenging. The products exist, but the distribution and implementation of products that are affordable, that are suitable for every person, with the support and training required requires an AT ecosystem to be active, reflecting local experience, language and culture and combining awareness, assessment of needs, provision, training, support and further research based on clear rights-based policies. The coordination and implementation of such an ecosystem is the greatest challenge in ensuring access for all.

Developing an AT ecosystem that can address the scale of need also requires fresh thinking. Increasingly, emerging technologies are suggesting ways in which we can respond to that need. New media, and especially social media, needs to be seeded with appropriate and independent resources to encourage awareness of and advice about assistive technologies. Approaches to assessment of need and identification of solutions are increasingly available online, such as in the GARI database of mobile technologies (www.gari.info), or are driven by AI and machine learning to improve the matching of needs to options, such as ATVisor (www.atvisor.ai). The building of capacity within countries will encompass not only awareness, advice and assessment, but will include provision models, training and technical support – all of which are potentially available online and on demand for a range of solutions. Making such a change in the provision of AT will require the commitment of policy makers, engaged with those with a disability to build systems that are efficient and effective. Whilst all change brings risks, the potential impact in addressing the needs of all citizens are significant – and I look forward to discussing how we can work together to make this happen in the panel session “Accessibility matters: dismantling the barriers of disability with technology” at ITU Telecom World 2019 this September.

When the Government of Indonesia decided to showcase their experience fostering the development of different digital economy business models, they headed to Busan, Republic of Korea, where ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies (ICTs) was organizing ITU Telecom World, a global tech event held annually at different locations around the world, connecting heads of government, tech & business leaders and high-growth SMEs.

Indonesia’s ICT Minister, H.E Rudiantara highlighted his country’s experience to this global audience, hosted a press conference to international media, and helped launch some of the country’s up and coming SMEs onto a global stage.

Participants from around the world, be they a government minister from Tuvalu, a regulator from Poland or the CEO of a small tech enterprise from Mozambique, flock to ITU Telecom World events. Here they can connect to a UN agency director from Geneva, a Boston-based AI expert or the Hungarian representative of a leading global broadband network company.

You’ll find heads of state and government, academics, media, tech experts, heads of international organizations and decision-takers in vertical sectors from finance to education and transportation gathering together. It’s a mixture of stage, melting pot and meeting room when it comes to influential figures in the tech world – the people actually deciding where money is spent and on what, experts in technology, strategy and policy, all ready to connect, share good practice and do business.

Delegates come to meet, network, conclude deals, share their own personal insights and creative ideas, as well as to learn and take in views and lessons of others, to apply back home. “We have to learn what the advanced countries do,” explained Indonesia’s Rudiantara at ITU Telecom World 2017, “How they develop their digital economy, how they can maximise digital technology to the economic or social benefit of the people – that is our main objective at this conference.”

“It’s an exceptional opportunity to interact with my peers, with governments and policy makers and all stakeholders in one place, and actually hear their perspectives.” said Qualcomm’s Elizabeth Migwalla about her recent event experience.

As it is organized by the UN, the ITU Telecom World event plays a unique role in connecting developing and developed markets across its exhibition, conference and networking hub. The innovation, projects, applications and products on the showfloor provide a window to the world of governments, associations and leading industry players around the world.

Helping tech SMEs grow and scale-up

The second USP is the focus on tech SMEs – the micro, small and medium tech enterprises which are so critical in driving job creation, innovation, entrepreneurialism and socio-economic development throughout the world. The SME Programme of workshops, pitching and mentoring sessions, networking and debates at the event aims to support SME growth – and culminates in the ITU Telecom World Awards for the best innovative tech solutions for social good.

The mix of SMEs, new technologies, big industry, investors, experts and policy-makers makes for an  unusual networking hub – one which has proved very successful in building contacts, partnerships, business and creativity.

Ask Sabelo Sibanda, CEO and co-founder of Tuse Applications, a South African SME using IoT, AI and predictive data analytics to bring the benefits of connectivity to agricultural and domestic settings. Tuse entered the ITU Telecom World Awards last year to launch their products, and reach new markets, funding and skilled staff.

“The experience was truly a game changer for our business,” he said, “The SME programme gave us unparalleled exposure, access to markets, finance and new opportunities. And winning the Award gave us all of that on an exponential scale.”

The result: within weeks of winning, Tuse had increased its business to such an extent that the company had to move to bigger premises and recruit 67% more staff  – an important step on the way to becoming what Sibanda calls  “the most impactful African unicorn.”

Or Hiroshi Tominaga, General Manager, Japan Battery Regeneration, and event participant: “A small company like us doesn’t usually have the opportunity to come to this event, but by participating we can meet the right people, announce and advertise our technologies, which is very helpful for the growth of our business.” Directly following their exposure at the event, Japan Battery Regeneration went on to close a major deal with a global transportation company, significantly accelerating their progress in both domestic and international business

Next stop Budapest

This year the event is headed to Budapest, Hungary, starting on 9 September, where it will focus on international, cross-sector collaboration to harness new technologies and innovative approaches for digital inclusion and social good – all under the theme of “Innovating together: connectivity that matters. A powerful Forum programme of debate, exhibition plus effective networking with decision-makers throughout the digital ecosystem is on offer – just where the journey will take you is up to you.

You can register today to join this year’s ITU Telecom World 2019, with a number of special offers now available.

For more information visit https://telecomworld.itu.int/

By Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, Vice President of Regulatory at OneWeb

The digital divide and the immediate need for internet provision from space

Almost half of the global population still does not have access to the internet (ITU figures 2018). This “digital divide” is not only an issue in developing countries. Unconnected populations exist in every country, and regulators must find ways to provide universal access to the internet. In the modern, increasingly online-centered world, access to the internet is a basic human right. In unconnected communities, it represents a transformational force. Connectivity is fundamental to education, healthcare, and economic growth. Connectivity is the single greatest benefit a government can provide to its people: from connectivity flows education, health, government services, and most of all, jobs.

In the absence of a united global governance framework, a range of organizations have rallied together to try to map and conquer the global digital divide. Initiatives like UNICEF and Project Connect’s partnership have done a lot to inform programs around education, health, and emergencies. Project Connect stemmed from a need to create a platform to unite the technology industry, academia, and NGOs in forming initiatives to solve these issues.

How satellite technology is best placed to help bridge the digital divide

New satellite technology is the best solution to meet the increasing global data demand. Only space-based infrastructure can provide truly-ubiquitous geographic, low cost, low latency, coverage of the world. The non-geostationary (NGSO) low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, such as OneWeb, provide the lowest latency to date, and will revolutionize the infrastructure used to provide 4G and 5G. The satellite industry has gone through a game-changing transformation in the last decade; however, regulatory innovation must also happen, and adoption of best practices will increase the rate at which we achieve progress towards this goal – to bridge the digital divide.

Regulation of new technologies has the ability to massively help or hinder progress and innovation

The regulatory implementation and framework around low-orbit NGSO systems presents new challenges in that most countries have regulations for GSO satellites but not for NGSO systems, and changing the regulations of a country to include NGSO systems can take years. To encourage the supply of multiple connectivity technologies, regulators should:

• support technology-neutral regulations (such as blanket licensing) that encourage speedy roll-out of innovative technologies and services;
• have transparent “open skies” policies that promote competition and coexistence which have been proven to boost economies;  and
• discourage the finance and treasury agencies from looking to ICTs as a source of income (via auctions or taxes or fees), which only serve as barriers to the introduction of connectivity which defeats the goal of bridging the digital divide.

In this quest for connectivity, certainty and fairness regarding spectrum access is essential. The ITU plays a vital role in the global management of this scarce resource. Its processes are already defined and internationally accepted, and provide an ideal framework to provide protection for all spectrum users as well as the environment, via initiatives like its Sustainable Development Goals.

Collaboration: how to bind governance and execution

Innovation and progress are not possible without collaboration. For new regulatory practices to have the greatest impact these efforts will have to leverage the combined strength of industry, policy-makers, and regulators. OneWeb for example, has committed to chairing a global alliance of organizations for ‘Responsible Space.’ One of the key pillars of ‘Responsible Space’ is to support policy outcomes through collaboration.

The dream of fully bridging the digital divide is on track to be a reality, and I’m so incredibly proud to work for OneWeb for this reason. The industry already has all the key elements in place to make global connectivity a reality: technology, launches, satellites, as well as commercial operators across the globe. There is a long way to go in bridging the demand for connectivity and ensuring everyone can connect to the global marketplace. Congruence between regulators and practice is the last step towards achieving this.

I look forward to discussing these issues in more depth in the Forum session “Broadband today – and tomorrow: from wireless broadband to gigabit strategies” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September.

Europe is in the midst of change. As a new European Parliament and European Commission start working on a new wave of tech policies, the EU is trying to find its space in an increasingly competitive digital world.

Telecom companies are part of this quest for a fresh, renewed leadership in the digital space. With 5G, they can be part of the solution, too. 5G is now becoming reality in several European countries, with commercial roll-out taking off. We will soon have access to 5G-powered devices in our pockets, homes and cars. The R&D and investment efforts over the past years are now starting to have tangible outcomes. Is Europe ready to fully seize the opportunity, complete roll-out and fully digitize societies?

With great digital networks come great opportunities and investment!

Today, a European consumer consumes around 150 GB in fixed data and more than 3 GB in mobile data per month, on average. With 5G taking-off in more and more countries, the shift towards mobile data traffic will be steep and fast, but also empower several use cases across industrial sectors.

According to Analysis Mason estimates in ETNO’s State of Digital Telecommunications Report, there will be more than 100 million 5G connections in Europe by 2025. Internet of Things connections are expected to undergo an even more stunning uptake: 800 million subscriptions by 2025. In this context, more and more “traditional” industrial sectors will embrace 5G to digitally transform. For example, automotive will be propelled into the connected cars era, and the healthcare sector will see dramatic improvements in telemedicine and remote care.

Making all of this happen will require significant investment. According to BCG, the cost of accomplishing the task is above €500bn. Around 55% of this investment will be in fibre networks, 30% in radio access network and 15% in proximity data-centres. Europe needs strong pro-investment policy to help the sector deliver the leap.

A vision for EU tech leadership

As telcos contribute to building EU tech leadership via the development of new networks, ETNO has also launched a dialogue with stakeholders to create a shared vision on how to achieve this ambition. New digital networks and services alone will not be able to help positively transform society.

For this reason, we are gathering the views of user groups and tech representatives through ETNO’s “Dialogues for Tech Leadership”. A broad range of stakeholders called for the EU’s new policy and regulatory instruments to support digital developments by allowing more European innovation to flourish and by adopting forward-looking policies. These include the need for smart and evidence-based regulation, so that the EU could be equipped with more powerful tools to compete with other global superpowers. 

We see reasons to be optimistic. Ahead of the summer recess, the EU countries have sent a clear signal that Europe believes in mobile solutions and 5G as enablers of the automotive industry. In a milestone vote, they have rejected plans to exclude mobile systems (including 5G) from self-driving standards.

Spotlight on Sustainable Development Goals and inclusiveness

New digital networks and services are there for the economy, but also – and most importantly – to help us overcome some of the biggest societal challenges of today. There is a vast area of influence that can be leveraged through improved digital access. From a European perspective, as much as €4 billion in value per day from digitization (aggregated, on services) could be achieved by 2030. In more practical terms, this corresponds to €7 per EU citizen per day, which can trigger a new wave of socio-economic growth.

If we broaden the scope a step further, reports show how access to digital connectivity is directly linked to major socio-economic improvements. The UN has put forward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of addressing major global challenges faced by communities across the globe. Studies identified a strong and positive link between digital access and the achievement of 65% of the SDGs.

We believe that exceptional opportunities and challenges require strong European political leadership in the technology space. We are committed to continue working with EU policy tech leaders, business representatives and citizen organizations in promoting an inclusive digital agenda for all EU citizens in the decades to come. Our participation in the panel session “Ministerial Roundtable: the role of government in 5G and high-capacity network deployment” at ITU Telecom World 2019 is an important step towards this goal.

Within the last ten years, our world has witnessed an explosion in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices — from smartphones to smart homes, autonomous vehicles and smart cities. Millions of us now own at least one virtual assistants, in our pocket or our home. But the big question is who is actually listening when we talk to them?

We all understand that the IoT describes the network of devices that are connected via the Internet. In other words, because they are connected, these smart devices are able to share data with and amongst each other. Statista forecasts that 30.73 billion connected things will be in use in 2020 globally and that the total will reach 75.44 billion by 2025. Intel’s projection is even bigger — 200 billion connected devices by 2020.

Whether the estimation is true or false, a tremendous volume of data will be produced — 33 zettabytes in 2018 to 2,100 zettabytes in 2035. “New oil” is how some have to referred data, but for me, data is like air, an infinite resource that powers the IoT, striving to deliver the Internet’s promise of making the world a connected place.

So much so that our data-driven world is based on tracking, monitoring, listening, watching, and observing. The more advanced the data-processing systems, the better the output can be, which can be used to improve decision-making, enable innovation, empower personalization, and boost business revenue.

In other words, to reach data’s full potential, businesses need advanced data-processing systems, which most are incapable of. The data market is highly dominated by GAFAM — the five tech giants of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft.

Due to the introduction of GDPR, they now have an exclusive opportunity to gain consent to track and analyse most of their customer’s behavior, click, touch and voice commands. This gives them enormous power in the advertising market, publicly practising monetising the user’s data, as they can provide companies with the best-fitting target groups through their advertising and targeting services.

It is intriguing to see that even though the end-users and their engagement data are so precious to the data economy, they are not part of the transaction, and are left with no clue as to how much their data are worth.

With regard to the announcement of the bill lodged in the US Congress to potentially oblige Google and Facebook to disclose every 90 days how much users data are valued – how would it be fair to only oblige Google and Facebook?

How about other private companies which are publicly economically benefiting from their users’ data, shouldn’t they disclose the information as well?

And shouldn’t the users be economically compensated for generating data value for those gigantic corporations and their third-parties?

In other words, the user’s role should be recognized and acknowledged as a significant digital value creator, and the new right should be enforced and strengthened — the right to monetise.

During the panel discussion on “Are you listening, Alexa? Security in connected devices” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September 11, I will once again address this data commercial issue, how soon advertisement search will be based on voice, and how quickly the GAFAM will dominate that market again – and finally, I will emphasize the right to monetise as the ultimate solution.

Despite the rush of excitement with all the virtual ribbon-cutting for 5G services, being a telecoms operator these days is not a joyful affair – especially when compared to the glory times of 20 years ago.

Accelerating cycles of investment in ever new Gs, coupled with the thirst of many governments for money from spectrum auctions to fill holes in their stretched budgets, make CAPEX management impossible. Better speeds and quality of service, ironically, increasingly open more opportunities for over-the-top digital players to substitute managed telco services (think IPTV). Raging price wars (think India), largely a self-inflicted pain but also a reflection of supreme commoditization, together with a slowing growth in penetration as industry inches closer to saturation and reduced pricing flexibility through net neutrality policies, put enormous pressure on the top line.

The industry value chain, once largely in the integrated control of powerful operators, is being gradually chipped away at both ends. The drive to increase infrastructure cost efficiency (admittedly, a very rational objective in the current state of affairs) through tower companies and government-supported wholesale networks is pushing from the upstream. Mobile operating systems, device manufacturers and digital platforms are taking over the relationship with customers. 

For many, forays into the promised land of digital failed to deliver an expected salvation. Despite some brave attempts at creating all-singing, all-dancing digital platforms, operators seem to have had to accept that they will never be as good as Facebook, WeChat or even Grab in serving all-encompassing digital user needs. Even partnership with Google has not turned around the fortunes of RCS (never heard of the latter? – exactly!). As if market pressures were not enough, geopolitics throws an additional spanner or two in the works at times, with CTOs spending more and more time with their General Counsel figuring out how to keep their networks running, and some vendors spending more time on the US Department of Commerce than on their clients.

Admittedly, certain operators, especially in some countries in Africa – with Safaricom being a shining example – have managed to capitalize on the opportunity to expand financial inclusion through mobile financial services. However, for many this promise has never translated into more than low single digit percentages in their revenues – especially with the strengthening headwind from cautious central banks. And with such developments as Facebook’s (ok, ok – the association’s) Libra, it seems that the industry might be approaching another WhatsApp moment.

The picture is pretty bleak. If share prices with their negative returns in the recent years are any indication, investors seem to share this view, unchanged by operators’ attempts to entice them with higher dividend pay-outs. However, it clearly cannot be the end of the road – telecoms infrastructure is the backbone for all the digital goodies that we have grown to enjoy. As with that sun that we only miss “when it starts to snow” (© Passenger), the decreasing interest in the industry only shows how much we have got used to being connected.

So what’s next for ageing telcos? What will the role of telecoms operators be in the future digital ecosystem? Can they still try to squeeze into the club of cool digital boys and girls? Or will they have to accept the future of reliable “wise” utilities (more respectful than “dumb pipes”, I gather), underpinning the “smart” infrastructure of future cities, industries and homes?

Will market structure change – possibly with more consolidations or more government stakes, or, to the contrary, with new competitors or private networks further fragmenting the market? Will network slicing in 5G open new opportunities for differentiation and innovative connectivity products? Will operators be able to leverage machine learning and AI to improve management of their networks, as well as to get to know their customers better and use that knowledge for mutual benefit? How will cloud and anything-as-a-service change their operations? Will increasing political and regulatory pressures on global tech giants enable telcos to better leverage their local presence? These are some of the questions that ITU Telecom World 2019 panel debate on “The network operator of 2025”, which I will have the honour of moderating, will aim to explore. I am very much looking forward to it!

There is no doubt that the near-instant ability to access or process data is completely changing the way we work, consume, organise and socialise. More and more of the global population are becoming connected to the internet, giving them access to goods, services and information on demand. Whilst the growth of connected users has been rapid, corresponding efforts to understand the data and security landscape has been slower. In addition, where easier access to data, goods and services is good for users and customers, it also makes it easier for those who want to steal data, disrupt services or commit other types of criminal activity online. The more innovation and technology is enabled, the more risks that are posed to customers, businesses and organisations.

One of the ways to tackle this is at the national/international level. The European Union has been active in recent years with two initiatives aimed at making its citizens more secure. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to ensure that personal data is allocated sufficient protections with significant financial penalties for organisations failing to comply. One of the benefits to consumers of this regulation is that it has raised awareness that their personal data belongs to them, and that they have certain rights about how that data is stored and processed. It has also introduced a burden on companies and organisations to comply with the GDPR. This means that regulation design must closely balance data protection with limiting the implementation and operating burdens on companies and organisations.

The Directive on security of network and information systems (NIS Directive) is the first piece of EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity. It provides legal measures to boost the overall level of cybersecurity in the EU and targets critical national infrastructure in two areas: Operators of Essential Services, which are established within the EU, and Digital Service Providers that offer services to people within the EU. This is successfully raising the profile of what constitutes critical national infrastructure and is both compelling and assisting those affected in improving security as society becomes more connected.

Another option is to target selected industries by demonstrating the benefits of solving these issues through a common approach, and as long as the benefits can be demonstrated to outweigh the challenges then buy-in from companies and organisations should be much less complicated. The normal challenges of different appetites, working cultures and even time zones can be overcome with a clear strategy. More difficult challenges may be as follows:

• Building relationships between organisations that may well be in direct commercial competition with each other.
• Understanding and absorbing different regional regulations.
• Demonstrating a return on time and cost.
• Avoiding breaches of regulation, such as anti-competition rules.

However, the benefits for organisations that collaborate in order to build models that can address and implement regulations and standards can include:

• A shared cost burden
• Efficiency in ensuring that organisations that use similar business and operating models reduce friction when interacting – this is particularly important in international supply chains, or where different companies are involved in delivering one product.
• Strength in numbers whereby organisations and companies can effectively communicate challenges to regulators as a single unified voice.
• Identifying common risks and addressing them in a uniform manner.

During the panel session on “Regulating the future: safe, inclusive, connected” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September, I will address these challenges and opportunities in more detail and talk through some of the ways to effectively enable industries to solve these issues. I look forward to a lively and interesting discussion!

Digital technologies are all too often seen as being neutral and value free, and with a power of their own to transform the world.  However, even a brief reflection indicates that this taken-for-granted assumption is fundamentally flawed.  Technologies are created by people, who have very specific interests, and they construct or craft them for particular purposes, more often than not to generate profit.  These technologies therefore carry within them the biases and prejudices of the people who create them.

This is as true of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it is of other digital technologies, such as mobile devices and robots.  Gender, with all of its diversity, is one of the most important categories through which most people seek to understand the world, and we frequently assign gender categories to non-human objects such as technologies.  This is evident even in the languages that we use, especially in the context of technology.  It should not therefore be surprising that AI is gendered.  Yet, until recently few people appreciated the implication of this.

The AI and machine learning underlying an increasing number of decision-making processes, from recruitment to medical diagnostics, from surveillance technologies to e-commerce, is indeed gendered, and will therefore reproduce existing gender biases in society unless specific actions are taken to counter it.  Three issues seem to be of particular importance here:

• AI is generally used to manipulate very large data sets.  If these data sets themselves are a manifestation of gender bias, then the conclusions reached through the algorithms will also be biased.
• Most professionals working in the AI field are male; the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap Report thus reports that only 22% of AI professionals globally are women. The algorithms themselves are therefore being shaped primarily from a male perspective, and ignore the potential contributions that women can make to their design.
• AI, rather than being neutral, is serving to reproduce, and indeed accelerate, existing gender biases and stereotypes.  This is typified in the use of female voices in digital assistants such as Alexa and Siri, which often suggest negative or subservient associations with women.  A recent report by UNESCO for EQUALS, for example, emphasises the point that those in the field therefore need to work together to “prevent digital assistant technologies from perpetuating existing gender biases and creating new forms of gender inequality”.

These issues highlight the growing importance of binary biases in AI.  However, it must also be recognised that they have ramifications for its intersection with the nuanced and diverse definitions of gender associated with those who identify as LGBTIQ.  In 2017, for example, HRC and Glaad thus criticised a study claiming to show that deep neural networks could correctly differentiate between gay and straight men 81% of the time, and women 74% of the time, on the grounds that it could put gay people at risk and made overly broad assumptions about gender and sexuality.

The panel session on Diversity by Design: mitigating gender bias in AI at this year’s ITU Telecom World in Budapest (11 September, 14.00-15.15) is designed specifically to address these complex issues.  As moderator, I will be encouraging the distinguished panel of speakers, drawn from industry, academia and civil society, not only to tease out these challenging issues in more depth, but also to suggest how we can design AI with diversity in mind.  This is of critical importance if we are collectively to prevent AI from increasing inequalities at all scales, and to ensure that in the future it more broadly represents the rich diversity of humanity.

How does a South African startup providing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for smart homes, factories and cities find funding, scale up its business and establish itself internationally?

How does a team of young tech entrepreneurs make good on their dream of solving issues such as water and energy efficiency, security and connectivity, to improve life not just in South Africa, but in all developing nations?

One major opportunity is the ITU Telecom World Awards, as Sabelo Sibanda, co-founder and CEO of Tuse Applications, discovered last September. Based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuse makes use of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence and predictive data analytics to bring the benefits of connectivity to as many people as possible, through a range of solutions and products in industrial, agricultural and domestic settings.

This commitment to delivering social and economic development through connectivity is a key international priority, involving the collaboration of public and private sectors, large corporate entities and smaller tech companies, throughout the world. And these are precisely the players who gather each year at ITU Telecom World, the leading global tech event organized by ITU, the UN agency for ICT issues.An international platform

For Tuse, the chance to take part in the 2018 event in Durban, South Africa, was too good to miss.

Applying to the ITU Telecom World Awards meant entering a pool of over a hundred small and medium enterprise (SME) applicants seeking recognition for their innovative solutions with real-life social impact. It provided access to the event’s SME Progamme of pitching sessions, mentorship, capacity-building and skills workshops, and extensive peer networking. And it was a platform for Tuse in front of an audience of influential tech leaders, policy-makers and decision-takers from South Africa, across the continent and beyond.

“The SME programme gave us unparalleled exposure, access to markets, finance and new opportunities. And winning the Award has given us all of that on an exponential scale.” — Sabelo Sibanda, Tuse

“We attended ITU Telecom to launch our products, and to gain access to markets, finance and skilled staff,” explains Sibanda. And the experience was, in his words, “phenomenal”.

Highlights included networking with like-minded entrepreneurs, policy-makers and corporates, “meeting incredible people from whom we have learnt so much,” and participating in an SME Growth Opportunities and Challenges roundtable session with a panel of experts including ministers from most of the African continent and influential business leaders from around the world.

Being handed the ITU Telecom World Global SME Award for Best Business Model by ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao in a high-profile ceremony on the final day of the event was the icing on the cake.

In an ever-more interconnected world, public and private sectors are working together to deliver on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – and tech SMEs such as Tuse have a very important role to play.

Supporting SME growth through access to markets, capital and skills development is critical, and platforms such as ITU Telecom World offer valuable access to the international exposure, networking and partnership opportunities small tech companies need to take their businesses to the next level.

So, six months on from winning the award, what’s different? After all the fun of the showfloor, the SME programme and social events, the intense and diverse networking, the inspirational, promising conversations and connections with industry and government leaders from around the world – and the excitement of winning the Global SME Award itself, of course – after those heady four days in Durban, what’s changed?‘A game-changer for our business’

“It’s truly been a game changer for our business,” says Sibanda. “The SME programme gave us unparalleled exposure, access to markets, finance and new opportunities. And winning the Award has given us all of that on an exponential scale.”

In practical terms, this translates to so much new business that Tuse had to move, within weeks of winning, to bigger offices, with enough space for the 67% growth in staff needed to work on the new leads and projects generated.

Coming together at the event with Standard Bank, in particular, has opened up a whole range of opportunities – and the capacity to deliver on ever-larger projects throughout the world.

And Sibanda himself has been accepted into the Harambe Entrepreneurial Alliance, a prestigious network of African entrepreneurs who have pledged to work together to unlock the potential of the continent. “Our goal was always to be the most impactful African unicorn,” Sibanda says,“ and winning the ITU Award has propelled us so much closer to achieving it.”

ITU Telecom World 2019 takes place in Budapest, Hungary, on 9 – 12 September – and applications are open now for the ITU Telecom World Awards 2019.

This blog was originally posted on ITU News.

ITU Telecom World events are focused on the power of meaningful technology to improve lives everywhere, making life better, sooner – by working together across sectors, regions and international boundaries.

Technology, and innovation in technology, has always driven human development. With the advent of the digital age, the pace of innovation and the technological change it brings is advancing at unprecedented speed. The impact on businesses and societies, on nations and individuals, is proving revolutionary. The potential to change lives for the better is greater than ever before.

But there is a very real danger that not everyone will benefit from the growing digital era. The digital divide – between those who are connected, empowered and enriched by technology and those who are excluded – may deepen further as new developments in areas such as 5G, IoT, AI and smart cities take hold and spread in developed markets.

So ensuring universal access to high-speed internet, and the services, applications and products it enables, is of paramount importance. But to really make a difference, that connectivity has to be meaningful. It needs to be affordable, fit-for-purpose and relevant to local contexts – which means local content in local languages, supported by digital literacy and skills programmes, and accessible to those who are currently digitally disenfranchised, such as rural populations, women, and young people.

Making sure that the digital society is inclusive, diverse, beneficial and sustainable also means addressing the issue of trust – or lack of trust – in technology. This involves respectful data management, privacy initiatives and education, and cybersecurity measures to ensure a safe global cyberspace. And technological developments need to respect and develop environmental policies to secure the planet and preserve the current climate.

These are ambitious goals, goals that can only be achieved through innovative thinking and collaborative efforts. Which is exactly the platform that ITU Telecom World 2019 offers.

Held in Budapest, Hungary, from 9-12 September, ITU Telecom World brings together public and private sectors, international organizations, academia, media and tech consultants from emerging and developed markets to debate the issues shaping the technology industry and our digital societies. Innovation in policy, strategy and regulatory approaches will be high on the agenda, as well as innovation in technology – from 5G deployment to IoT breakthroughs, the status, potential and risks of AI, new satellite connectivity solutions, delivering smart cities and spectrum management.

Innovation will be in evidence across the event, with the best tech solutions, products and projects on display from around the world in a series of National and Thematic Pavilions in the exhibition. It’s a chance for countries from both emerging and developed markets to shine an international spotlight on local, regional and national talent, technological advancements and partnership and investment opportunities.

Innovation is also critical to another key element of the event: the SME Programme and ITU Telecom World Awards. Recognizing the vital role of tech small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in driving economic and social development, creating jobs and building the digital age in all markets, ITU Telecom World events provide a range of international services to foster and support SME growth. The SME Programme offers workshops, mentorship, important networking opportunities, and capacity-building sessions alongside pitching and showcasing; the ITU Telecom World Awards – now open for applications – reward innovative tech solutions working to create real, positive social impact from SMEs and corporate alike.

Collaboration is innovation’s main partner in making technology meaningful, beneficial and inclusive. Partnerships are the cornerstone of ITU Telecom World events, whether between public and private sectors, policy-makers and industry, SMEs and big business or government, or across ministries, regions and nations. Making progress means working together, never more so than in a digital age where data and technology know no boundaries, respect no geographies.

ITU Telecom World 2019 is focused on connectivity, innovation and digital principles, to ensure that technology benefits everyone, everywhere. Only through international and cross-sectoral collaboration can we achieve these aims – and prepare and adapt to the digital society, maximizing the potential of the tech revolution. Events such as ITU Telecom World 2019 are an important step on that journey.