National Pavilions in the virtual exhibition provide a fascinating overview of the world of digital technologies – as well as insights into national digital strategies and priorities, key contacts and partnership possibilities.
Alongside host Vietnam and exhibition newcomer Timor-Leste, for example, Zambia’s online stand highlights the country’s commitment to ensuring the safety of children in cyberspace. Its new National Child Online Protection strategy focuses on capacity building, raising awareness of the issue and putting organizational structures into place. Rapid growth in Zambia’s ICT sector has seen penetration rates of over 89% for mobile and over 50% for internet by year-end 2019. Much of that internet usage is amongst young people, who are particularly vulnerable to online dangers from cyberbullying to violence, obscenity and fake news – demonstrating just how important this initiative is.
India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) is focused on accelerating the growth of telecom services as a critical tool for socio-economic development – and its virtual showcase is an opportunity to connect with the organization in charge of rolling out robust, secure, seamless broadband networks across the nation, with particular emphasis on connecting the unconnected in rural and remote regions.
Rural telecommunications is one of the specialities of engineering company TCIL, joined in the online exhibition by Indian research and development agency C-DOT – the “torch bearer of indigenous telecom R&D.” Other government partners include export platform TEPC and manufacturer TI Limited with products from wifi access boxes to optical fibre cable and smart energy meters.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) in Korea plays a key role in creating added value, jobs and growth engines for national development through ICTs. Its virtual showcase offers a chance to explore in full its Digital New Deal to promote cross-sector digital innovation by strengthening the data, network, and artificial intelligence network in response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 crisis. Lessons learnt, experiences shared, expertise outlined – and the opportunity to move forward together in building back better.
