ITU Telecom World

Inviting ICT leaders from across the ecosystem to work together, to engage world leaders in dialogue and act as spokespeople for the industry, ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao opened proceedings at the Industry Leaders Roundtable on “Creating value, accelerating growth, opening new markets: the power of collaboration”.

“It is seen as a profitable, stable industry, but sometimes there is a risk that the money is taken away or the need to support the industry with investment from the public side endangers that environment,” he said, stressing that “collaboration is the only way to overcome challenges and make progress.”

Kicking off the roundtable by describing the incredible pace of change in the Nigerian  market, Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne Cable, highlighted how “opening up the market to accelerating growth, it is amazing to watch the significant shift from cash-based banking to cashless banking”.  Financial services, online shopping and banking are flourish as paper-based transactions disappear in the digital economy. Infrastructure sharing amongst operators and providers, pushed together by market realities and regulatory pressure, has brought this change about in West Africa. Without a high degree of collaboration, the lack of quality access would have rendered this level of growth impossible

As one of the verticals in the payment space, Yvette Oh, Mastercard, focuses on collaboration with the telco sector to bring as many as possible of the 2.5bn financially excluded into the global economy. Mobile networks have the international reach across all sections of society, Mastercard the financial services: without a multi-stakeholder partnership between a whole mini-ecosystem of banks, telcos, ISPs, payment service providers, regulators and policy-makers, this would simply not happen.

And the results have been impressive – a great example being the collaboration with the South African government social security agency, which brought 10m people into the formal economy for the first time.

Mobile devices provide access, but interoperability is really the key if all these industry players and verticals are to come together and work as one to deliver solutions. Developing low-cost solutions to bring the unconnected online is difficult – do you invest in infrastructure if there is no demand, or ability to pay? asked Oh, summarizing a key conundrum of connectivity. “We have leveraged mobile technology to enable micro and SME merchants to accept payment,” she explained, “and these stores are themselves underserved businesses serving the underserved,” indicating that it is not expensive devices but working with different industries on the ground that might lead to financial inclusion.

Interoperability is indeed critical, according to Inmarsat CTO Michele Franci. Wherever people go today, they want solutions and services adapted to their situation. The advantage of the satellite industry – itself fundamentally based on collaboration – is that “it allows us to put in place a lot of solutions for areas where not much choice, and create more and more of the infrastructure, the enablers”, for communication –based applications and services for everyone in the world.

For Lars-Åke Norling, CEO, Total Access Communication, freeing up spectrum is essential to enable mobile operators to provide data to meet the needs of customers and provide the digital space for online services and sales with OTT players. Collaboration in terms of infrastructure, with towers or fibre, is happening today, he said, but “trust is necessary for payment to take off and for collaboration in vertical sectors”.

Perhaps there is a more fundamental problem, queried  Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, DataWind Net Access Corporation, given that so many data platforms go unactivated, or are just used for social media rather than banking or commerce. The reason is affordability. Affordable internet access has long been are target, but we will not make progress if we do not look at innovative data plans in the very lowest income segment  – where consumers can afford to spend as little as USD0.30 a month. “We need to create affordable solutions and collaborate between ecosystems – and then we will see accelerated growth.”

Affordable, perhaps, but not free. “The problem with the concept of free is that someone ultimately pays, and it is not sustainable,” added Tuli.

From a research perspective,  Thomas Wiegand, Executive Director at Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, sees a significant shift in the research contacts and customers with whom he works. Exclusively telco has now moved to an eclectic mix of mobility industry, smart cities, e health and smart energy in a dramatic increase. This brings with it the challenge of new industries and partners with different cultures, systems and models in place – on the ground, in reality, “collaboration is a challenge.

For the mobile sector in Thailand, however, collaboration is an essential element of sustainable growth, from infrastructure sharing to land lease, roll out and maintenance, so that operators can save time and money – and are freed up to focus on new services and apps interfacing with the platform.   Seven operators have collaborated in co investment and laying cables, involving also the public sector in the form of the national electricity authority. Collaboration like this will form the basis of smart cities, the next big thing in Thailand, pointed out  Preeyaporn Tangpaosak, Chairman of the Executive Board, at ATL.

And a very pertinent example of collaboration between major industry players was presented by Dongmyun Lee, CTO, KT Corporation, who described how the ongoing slowdown in the Korean telecom market had led to a search for “a new growth engine based on our own infrastructure,” building out 5G infrastructure for a working case of the ecosystem in the Olympic Games to be held in Korea in 2018 – partnering with Nokia for some elements.

Hossein Moiin, Executive VP and CTO, Nokia, was optimistic about such partnerships and about collaboration in the industry in general. “Each time we build a new generation of networks, we are able to increase the total output of the ecosystem by a factor of 3”, he said. That success is built on a collaborative model between operators, government, research institutes and standards bodies. We must build on this to move forward, he urged, and to ensure that the trillions of dollars of value created is distributed fairly through the ecosystem – creating value and benefit for all in the digital economy.

Moderator

• Mr Paul Conneally, Head of Communications, International Telecommunication Union, Switzerland

Opening Remark

• Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union, Switzerland

Panellists

• Mr Michele Franci, Chief Technology Officer, Inmarsat SA, United Kingdom
• Dr Dongmyun Lee, Chief Technology Officer, KT Corporation, Korea, Republic of
• Mr Hossein Moiin, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Nokia Mobile Networks, Nokia Corporation, Finland
• Mr Lars-Åke Norling, CEO, Total Access Communication PLC (dtac), Thailand
• Ms Yvette Oh, Group Executive, Market Development, APMEA, International Markets (IMK), MasterCard Worldwide, Singapore
• Ms Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer, MainOne Cable, Nigeria
• Mrs Preeyaporn Tangpaosak, Chairman of the Executive Board, ALT Telecom PCL, Thailand
• Mr Suneet Singh Tuli, Chief Executive Officer, DataWind Net Access Corporation, Canada
• Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand, Professor at TU Berlin and Executive Director at Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, Germany

Pitches continued today from the SMEs shortlisted for the prestigious ITU Telecom World Global SME Award. Pitches spanning areas from rehabilitating movement in stroke and other patients, cloud based school administration and IoT for monitoring productivity were among the innovations and creative ideas pitched to the jury, comprising social entrepreneurship and tech experts. Pitches included:

Neofect, Republic of Korea: exoskeleton device for rehabilitating movement in stroke and other patients

UMS Queen, Myanmar: cloud based system for managing school administration processes.

uLALALabs, Republic of Korea IoT devices for monitoring productivity of factory floor.

Find out who the ITU Telecom World Award winners are at the Event Closing on 17 November!

ITU Telecom World delegates are invited to experience THAILAND in 360° Virtual Reality as a Business Event Destination, with Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)

A Virtual Reality videography will transport you right to Thailand. Created by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), THAILAND 360° lets you experience the Business Events Destinations in 3 different versions.

1. A City Full of Dreams: Explore Bangkok, this vibrant capital with endless potential and possibilities. Enjoy world-class business event facilities with world-renowned hospitality. The city is truly a dream-come-true destination for business events.
2. Days of Wonders: Let Thailand’s beach towns amaze you. From adventurous team building challenges to meaningful CSR activities, your business events trip will be dazzled by the sea and sunshine of our beaches.
3. Legends Retold: Indulge yourself with the luxury of Thai culture and legendary hospitality. Spoil your tastebuds with Thai food. Dance to our tune. And you will know the reason why they call us as the “Land of Smiles”.

Why not spice Up Your business agenda and find out more about the exclusive privileges we offer to make your business events trip an even more memorable experience.

Visit Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (or TCEB) at booth T14.1

 

The SMEs shortlisted for the prestigious ITU Telecom World Global SME Award today came together at the Nigeria Pavilion in order to pitch their innovations and creative ideas to the jury, comprising social entrepreneurship and tech experts.

Pitches spanned areas from smart metering and innovative WiFi to road safety, noise blocking technologies, accounting and digital financial services and included:

• gnúbila (MAAT), France: centralized, secure health record database built on blockchain
• Fedironics Intelligent Metering Company, Nigeria: smart electricity meter
• Ripplebuds, Republic of Korea: consumer earbuds with bone induction mic for detecting voice.
• AFRICARTRACK INTERNATIONAL LTD, Kenya: vehicle/fleet monitoring protection, remote shut down.
• RadioLocus, India: track and map movement of populations based on WiFi-connected devices
• CarVi, Republic of Korea: IoT devices for vehicles
• BLUETOWN ApS, Denmark: solar powered WiFi base station.
• Retail Republic Company Limited, Thailand: automated accounting app for SMEs
• BRCK Limited, Kenya: robust / rugged WiFi hardware for connecting people in rural areas.
• Intervale, Russia: digital financial services/ebanking

Pitching continues tomorrow, and you can find out who the ITU Telecom World Award winners are at the Event Closing on 17 November!

A memorandum of cooperation (MOC) was signed today at ITU Telecom World 2016 between top-level representatives of Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Kingdom of Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The MOC aims to encourage concrete cooperation and projects in the postal field between the two countries including sharing information and exchanging views based on both sides’ experiences regarding postal policies, supporting the discussions between designated operators to build a cooperative relationship and promoting cooperation between Thai and Japanese public/private agencies.

It was signed by Ms. Wilailuck Chulewatanakul, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand and Mr. Shigeki Suzuki, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination (International Affairs), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan.

The signing was witnessed by H.E. Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand and H.E. Mr. Shiro Sadoshima, Ambassador of Japan to Thailand.

 

ITU Telecom World 2016 today launched proceedings, welcoming influential participants from public and private sectors and across the ICT industry, including SMEs, from around the world.

The event began with the Opening Ceremony, in the presence of H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Kingdom of Thailand, Chan-o-cha Prayut, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Thailand and Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union.

Addressing an audience of event participants and special guests which included Heads of State and Ministers, Heads of UN Agencies, regulators and industry leaders (in order of speaking), Chan-o-cha Prayut, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Thailand outlined key components of the event, including highlights of the Thailand Pavilion and the  core focus throughout the four days on collaboration, the digital economy and SMEs, noting that, “ The Thai government and ITU have placed emphasis on the cooperation of entrepreneurs, SMEs and start-up groups.”

Acknowledging his appreciation for H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s most valuable and committed support for ICTs, in particular for social development, ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao highlighted Thailand’s remarkable progress in ICT developments, and voiced his hope that the event, with its focus on development through the digital economy, will in some small way be able to contribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s work and legacy.

H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn officially opened ITU Telecom World, noting how the eventoffers “investment opportunities for SMEs and start-ups which help accelerate economic growth in many countries”, in particular through its forum activities enabling government, entrepreneurs and the private sector to gain ideas, experience and knowledge, and to share best practices for industry development.

Speakers

• R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess, Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, Thailand
• His Excellency Chan-o-cha Prayut, Prime Minister, Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, Thailand
• Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union, Switzerland

 

Collaborating in the digital economy with a specific focus on the key role of SMEs in the digital ecosystem was the theme that kicked of the ITU Telecom World Forum Debate. The opening session provided unique and powerful perspectives from heads of state, government and international organizations worldwide.

Taking to the floor first, Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union, spoke of the importance of ICTs as enablers, noting that “Within the ICT industry, it is the innovative small and medium enterprises – tech SMEs – that are key to industry disruption, to job creation, and to the technological innovations that are taking the industry forward.”

Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Luxembourg spoke of the transformation currently underway in this digital era, and the tremendous potential impact which we cannot afford to miss. “None of us can afford to miss the train. In Luxembourg we consider impact of digital as a huge opportunity to create value and make the world a better place.”

Speaking of the opportunities and challenges the fast-changing and evolving ICT ecosystem holds for Vanuatu, Mr. Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, Prime Minister and Minister responsible for ICT and Telecommunications added “we value learning from experiences of other countries, and note synergies and cost efficiencies that could be achieved in designing, implementing, or advocating certain initiatives on a regional or international level.”

 Crown Prince Tupoutoʻaʻ Ulukalala of the Kingdom of Tonga outlined the importance of inspiring collaboration, explaining how ITU Telecom World itself, “this annual flagship event has inspired Tonga as the first Pacific country to liberalize its telecoms sector in 2002. In a short time the benefits were realized.”

Prajin Juntong, Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Kingdom of Thailand, spoke of taking inspiration from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s many innovative ICT projects and legacy, ensuring that “ICT is not for those who can afford it but we must allow those who are most in need to benefit from it to not be left behind.”

Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) commended the unique strengths of the event, providing dialogue between international organizations and the private sector to “collectively identify opportunities and challenges.” He also took the opportunity to inform delegates that UNCTAD was today joining the EQUALS initiative, which aims to tackle the gender digital divide.

Commending ITU as a “platform to manage the emerging digital ecosystem,” Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), United Arab Emirates, challenged delegates-as they began the week’s debates-with topical questions such as “Can we ignore the value of collaboration?, or “Are we making sure we are applying enough innovation?”

Following the Forum Opening, debates began in earnest with the Leadership Summit, which convened highest-level experts from public and private sectors to explore why working together is so important for growing the digital economy.

Connectivity, collaboration, sustainability and inclusiveness were the key themes of the opening session of the high-level Leadership Summit, sponsored by TRA, UAE and moderated by Jeremy Wilks of Euronews, media partner of the Leadership Summit.

Extending connectivity – and the tremendous potential for social, economic and human development it brings – is critical. “The digital divide is very much still with us, a divide of geography and gender, of education and resources. It is imperative that we continue to work to close that digital divide,” urged ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.

Summarizing the challenges involved in tackling digital exclusion, Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Acting Minister of Digital Economy and Society, focused on four key pillars of acitivity, which resonated throughout the discussion: the digital economy, connectivity, cybersecurity and capacity building.

“Governments must create policies that focus on citizen empowerment, digital skills and the creation of a business environment that allows business to grow by leveraging technology,” he said, citing the example of Thailand’s dynamic SME and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

What extending connectivity means in practice may vary greatly. The European Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy, explained  Fátima  Barros, Chair of Portuguese regulator ANACOM, puts digital centre stage to grow the economy within and across the region. Its ambitious new broadband targets aim for at least 100 Mbps download speed for all households, 1 Gigabit for institutions such as hospitals and universities, and full 5G wireless broadband coverage in urban areas and major transport routes by 2025.

In India, the scale and nature is somewhat different – as  R. S. Sharma, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), pointed out, “45% of the unconnected are in India”, and supplying basic power is often the first priority, rather than top broadband speeds. But both Europe and India face the challenges of uniting different states with different languages and at different stages of development; and the need for large-scale investment, a technology-neutral hybrid approach to networks and regulatory reform are universal.

The government’s Digital India initiative will digitally empower society and transform the country, explained Sharma, through three parallel strands of development: infrastructure, including digital identity data in the cloud; software; and the services riding on top. Providing those services, whether in education, agriculture, health or any other sector, will only be possible through collaboration and partnership.

New regulatory approaches must enable open standards, software and systems to break down silos, encourage multiple technologies and ensure growth. For Barros, it is a balancing act: “The big challenge to achieving connectivity is keeping the goal of building the single market whilst sustaining competition.”

Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) noted that finding “a confluence of interests, a dialogue” between regulators and international ICT organizations is critical, as often “the regulator is so far behind, but the state doesn’t know that it doesn’t know”.

Regulation needs to adjust to encourage entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and sustainability, he urged. The digital economy moves us away from the flawed top-down architecture, empowering the edge of the network. The economic powerhouse of the digital economy are young people and small buisnesses, “the sector with the biggest growth and the biggest effect on society”.

Kathy Brown, President & CEO of Internet Society, agreed that it is overwhelmingly the young who are building the networks and creating apps throughout the world – and who are now finding it difficult to enter the market due to outdated regulation. “We need to see regulatory reform for the networks themselves, for vertical sectors and for entrepreneurship markets”, she said.

Suphachai Chearavanont, President of The Telecommunications Association of Thailand agreed, pointing out that ICT infrastructure in Thailand is rapidly advancing, but as the world is moving so fast towards digitalization, the IoT and the fourth industrial revolution, the private sector is moving much faster than the government. “Good governance, transparency of information and usefulness of information are the basis of the digital economy”, he noted.

Calling for all stakeholders to be responsible for security in their respective area of the ecosystem, Kathy Brown pointed out that, “If trust is gone, we have nothing. This is a collaborative, collective responsibility.” She warned against seeing the IoT as an “economic panacea” without understanding or prioritizing the need for building in security throughout the system.

Tackling cybersecurity starts with education, according to Suphachai Chearavanont. “It is time for us to work ahead of time on the younger generation, teaching them to use the tools of connectivity effectively and ethically,” he warned. “In the old days, the centre of knowledge used to be the teacher; now it is the Internet.” Not being able to use it correctly, extracting value but always questioning and analysing, risks damaging the educational system and creating further social discrimination.

Cybersecurity must be approached collaboratively, looking at multiple layers, from the network transport to software and the services on top, at government, national, regional and international levels. “We cannot do it alone,” said Kathy Brown, “we need collaborative security, not just connection, but also safe connection”.

Collaboration and inclusiveness means breaking down the silos of industry and government, establishing common goals on sustainability. For Dr Kituyi, public private partnerships, including partnerships with small enterprises and entrepreneurs, can be used as a learning experience, “transforming trust into synergy.”

Public private partnership and co-investment initiatives are critical to extending connectivity to rural and remote areas that are commercially inviable, reminded Barros.

Sharma stressed the need for the government and private sector, to work together, but each working to their own strengths. Governments should make policy and regulatory guidelines, leveraging the investment of the private sector.

Kathy Brown highlighted the grassroots low cost solutions to connectivity thar are already up and running, with creative, innovative community frameworks based on solar power or WiFi networks and adapted to local needs.

Inclusiveness and sustainability are key to long-term economic growth, agreed the panellists, enabling us all to benefit from the enormous potential of “the Internet of Oppportunity.” To achieve that, we must break down silos, engage in dialogue, and work together.

What sort of collaboration do we need to build in today’s fast -changing ICT ecosystem? What opportunities and challenges will we face along the way? And how to beat digital inequality? These were some of the questions explored in an animated panel discussion at today’s Leadership Summit: Pathways to success session sponsored by TRA, UAE and moderated by Jeremy Wilks of Euronews, media partner of the Leadership Summit.

Shifting nature of collaboration 

Launching the discussions, ITU’s Brahima Sanou, Director,Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) reminded us of the types of collaboration we should be seeking to forge, as we move to a new ecosystem, one where ICTs are now about streamlining government processes, bringing education to the neediest people in order to create national cohesion, inclusiveness and economic growth, but most of all are about people.

“ICTs should work for people, we need to put people back at the centre of our activities,” he stressed.

As ICTs underpin the fabric of more and more industry sectors, the nature of collaboration needs to shift to reflect this. Collaboration, according to Sanou, should no longer be vertical but horizontal, a sentiment echoed by the other panellists. “The spread of ICT is so wide” explained H.E. M. Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister for the Digital Economy and the Post, Cote d’Ivoire, “that it is no longer a vertical sector but one with a horizontal impact”

New challenges and opportunities

Nevertheless, as we move beyond mere connectivity, we face a number of issues and challenges, Traditional concerns of security and privacy have now also evolved into more complex concerns.

With so many devices all communicating together, security will always be an issue. Added to this, said Fadi Chehadé, Senior Adviser to Executive Chairman, Digital Governance, World Economic Forum, the integrity of data is also key. Putting together, for example, data from heart monitors, combined with exercise data, information on recent doctor visits and algorithms could provide a significant picture of a person’s health. What could be decided on the basis of this information? And by whom? In this way, suggested Chehadé, it is no longer just privacy any more, but integrity. Another issue is dignity. With the continued proliferation of technologies into all areas of our lives, what happens when they take over our jobs or livelihoods? “Is anyone thinking of the dignity of man as technology takes over?” he asked.

Nevertheless, this converged future offers many opportunities, said Joy Tan, President, Corporate Communications, Huawei. Mobile broadband, for example offers “tremendous opportunities for all vertical industries,” according to Tan, as connections increase among people and things, the industry becomes increasingly cloud driven, and business models adapt accordingly.

Industry and regulatory convergence has created a raft of opportunities for extending the reach of digital financial services, according to  Ari Sarker, Co-President, Asia Pacific, MasterCard, forging new collaborations where previously “one side didn’t need the other.” Increased consumer education and empowerment, a drop in the cost of service and smart devices, and the realization on the part of governments that financial inclusion is critical to a population, not just a part of CSR objectives, will all help boost digital financial services, although delivering the right profit model will be crucial, noted Sarker.

Reaching the digitally disenfranchised

Despite the huge potential offered by technology, there is a rising digital inequality, between the have and have nots- or the digitally empowered and digitally disenfranchised- and a concern among the panellists that the digital revolution empower more people than it disenfranchises

Those who have not may be “disenfranchised” for a number of reasons, including cost, age or gender. Digital technologies need to be affordable to all, not just those within the global top tier of income earners. According to Anne Jellema, Chief Executive Officer, World Wide Web Foundation, “We need to make sure everyone is in the race. 60% of the population are not even at the starting blocks.”

As well as affordability, access and education are also critical to help people keep their skills up to the pace of technology. Teachers need to be trained and digital skills boosted. Public access needs to also be scaled up, according to Chehadé, to enable all people to explore the Internet’s richness. Users need to be empowered and educated to give them control.

As a tech provider, noted Joy Tan, Huawei needs to continue to innovate to provide solutions which fit the needs of specific markets, be this increasing speed over traditional copper in Europe or providing solar solutions to power base stations in Africa, and come up with best solutions to bridge the digital divide

Panellists were unanimous on the need encourage girls and women online. This can be done in a raft of ways, such as working with schools or through specific initiatives such as the Cote d’Ivoire’s multimedia rooms, specifically for women to utilize ICTs as well as the creation of dedicated content solutions for female users.

The panel agreed that only a truly collaborative ecosystem could help meet the SDG targets, particularly in LDCs.

International involvement

Protecting the consumer, without killing innovation is key, according to Anne Jellema, and knowledge and guidance is needed on how to tackle a number of key issues such as cybersecurity and regulation. International guidance and global standards are needed, particularly in new areas such as “establishing” a biometric ID, a foundational element of digital financial services, according to Sarker, and countries need to recognize their importance.

New mechanisms are also needed, noted Chehadé, in order to regulate effectively in today’s changing ecosystem, moving regulation towards horizontal mechanisms “ for example for sharing information on digital from law enforcement agencies across borders and platforms” and away from more vertical- centred entities.

Summing up, Sanou called for a collaborative approach to innovation “that goes beyond, to the kind of society we want to see in the future. We need to define the society that we want to see in 20 years.” Not only do we need to think innovation, we need to innovate thinking. Citing Albert Einstein, he said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”.

 

Is it realistic to expect the industry to produce business models supporting attainment of the SDGs? asked moderator Tim Unwin in a lively and open discussion at the end of the first day of ITU Telecom World 2016.

The SDGs can only be met by deploying ICTs, agreed the panel – and the industry only stands to benefit. Using the technology, expertise and money of the industry in support of the SDGs can make a huge difference to global growth and improving lives, as well as turning a profit, or in Luis Neves words, “We will make money and we will make society better.”

For Tomas the question is not whether it is feasible to match business models to the SDGs, but whether the industry can afford not to do so in its search for sustainable business models in a changing environment. From financing small businesses to health and agriculture, “SDGs are actually verticals enabled by connectivity”, and the social case is the business case for operators and their platforms.

The problem lies in part in the short-term nature of policy makers, according to Ole, where governments are elected for a few years only and do not address the big picture of the overall community long-term.

This may be why organizations such as GSMA, which are fully committed to meeting the SDGs, feel as if they are moving ahead of world governments prioritizing other issues beyond this “north star for humanity” guiding development, noted Lawrence Yanovitch. We need a clear social contract to enable the industry to deliver commercial services over a powerful framework through the core business, building new services with social impact on top.

Astrid echoed this false dichotomy between profit and social good, pocket or heart. Both must align. Lifting millions out of poverty does not happen by doing good but by making money: “as good as our hearts are, we need the resources to make it happen, we need balance”.

Neves pointed out that the cynical approach would be to accept that no matter whether the SDGs are achieved in part or whole or not all, “we will still be a business making money.” But this is a bigger issue, these are aspirations for humanity, and it is critical that policy makers understand the transformational power of technology.

Why then was establishing connectivity not itself one of the SDGs? In part because of the “bubble” in which many live where access is like air; but the heart of the issue, the panel agreed, is that the transformational effects of technology are not understood. ICTs are not, as Astrid pointed out, a “magic bullet to make development happen”, but it is a tool to be wielded by leaders around the world to empower those who have been left behind.

CSR may be merely a communication tool around corporate activities, or it may make a real contribution to development in certain narrow cases, but a different approach is needed to embed sustainability into business. For Yanovitch, it echoes the paradigm shift between the corporate governance of the last century based on short-term profits with CSR for community relations, to today, where contributing to society must be part of the core business agenda.

We need as many producers and contributors as possible from all different verticals to work together on integrated solutions to integrated issues, from the empowerment of digital entrepreneurs to social benefit applications. And as the market grows, so too will the ICT industry as the enabler of those services.

But it is not just down to the big corporations to make it happen, as just one player om the ecosystem, stressed Astrid. “They are not experts on development but on business”, agreed Tomas. Technology may have contributed to inequality – but it doesn’t have to, if deployed properly. We need to build a sustainable model focusing on long-term benefits and opportunities, and above all, not lose sight of the magical transformational potential of ICTs in human lives.

Moderator

• Professor Tim Unwin, Emeritus Professor of Geography and UNESCO Chair in ICT for Development (ICT4D), Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom

Opening Remark

• Dr Chaesub Lee, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, International Telecommunication Union, Switzerland

Panellists

• Mr Tomas Lamanauskas, Group Director Public Policy, VimpelCom Group, Netherlands
• Mr Luis Neves, Chairman, Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), Belgium
• Mr Ola Jo Tandre, Director and Head of Social Responsibility, Telenor ASA, Norway
• Dr Astrid Tuminez, Regional Director, Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (Southeast Asia), Microsoft, Singapore
• Mr Lawrence Yanovitch, President of the GSMA Foundation, GSMA, United Kingdom