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© International Telecommunication Union

No. 4 May 2011INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

www.itu.int/itunews

Tomorrow‘s Communication Designed TodaySystem Solutions and Expertise for Radio Spectrum Management and Network Planning & Engineering.

Enabling Your E-Licensing Strategy

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World Telecommunication and Information Society DayBetter life in rural communities with information and communication technologies

Dr Hamadoun I. TouréITU Secretary-General

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are

reshaping the way the world communicates, creating

opportunities for a better life through long-term devel-

opment, not least among the most disadvantaged sec-

tions of our society. Today, ICT are the powerhouses of

the global economy, offering real solutions to the chal-

lenge of generating sustainable economic growth and

prosperity. ICT also act as catalysts in accelerating pro-

gress towards meeting the United Nations Millennium

Development Goals.

This year, as we celebrate ITU’s 146th anniversary,

we focus on the world’s rural communities in our quest

to connect the remotest regions to the benefi ts of ICT.

In the rural context, ICT and related e-applications en-

hance opportunities to generate income and combat

poverty, hunger, ill-health and illiteracy, and are key to

improving governance and rural services.

Half the world’s population (close to 3.5 billion

people) resides in rural districts or remote communi-

ties. They are the deprived cousins of the world’s urban

citizens. Among them are as many as 1.4 billion of the

world’s extremely poor people, who are also among the

least connected to the benefi ts of ICT. We cannot allow

this situation to continue.

ITU is committed to connecting the world and en-

suring that the benefi ts of ICT reach the remotest cor-

ners as well as the most vulnerable communities. We

have successfully developed standards for ICT, managed

vital spectrum and orbital resources, mobilized the nec-

essary technical, human and fi nancial resources, and

strengthened emergency response in the aftermath of

devastating natural disasters.

Now, with more than 5.3 billion mobile subscriptions

worldwide, is the moment to deliver content through

enhanced broadband access, establishing information

and communication highways that will feed both rural

communities and urban centres with the means to meet

their development goals. ITU’s leadership role in the

Broadband Commission for Digital Development seeks

to accelerate the roll-out of this state-of-the-art tech-

nology, with the aim of establishing a universally acces-

sible knowledge-based information society.

Let us celebrate World Telecommunication and

Information Society Day this year by focusing on ru-

ral communities, knowing that by connecting people

around the world and harnessing the full potential of

ICT, we can all enjoy a more productive, peaceful and

better life.

ITU

/V. M

arti

n

Edito

rial

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 1

ISSN 1020–4148www.itu.int/itunews10 issues per yearCopyright: © ITU 2011

Editor-in-Chief: Patricia LuswetiArt Editor: Christine VanoliCirculation Assistant: R. Soraya Abino-Quintana

Printed in Geneva by the ITU Printing and Dispatch Division. Material from this publication may be reproduced in full or in part, provided that it is accompanied by the acknowledgement: ITU News.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not engage ITU. The designations employed and presentation of material in this publication, including maps, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specifi c companies or of certain products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ITU in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

Editorial offi ce/Advertising information: Tel.: +41 22 730 5234/6303Fax: +41 22 730 5935E-mail: itunews@itu.int

Mailing address: International Telecommunication Union Place des NationsCH–1211 Geneva 20 (Switzerland)

Subscriptions: Tel.: +41 22 730 6303Fax: +41 22 730 5935E-mail: itunews@itu.int

Cover photo: Getty Images/A. Cavalli

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

Better life in rural communities with information and communication technologies

EditorialDr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General

Message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award

ITU honours Tarja Halonen, Sam Pitroda and Kristin Peterson

Meet the laureates

Tarja HalonenPresident of the Republic of Finland

Sam PitrodaAdviser to the Prime Minister Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations

Kristin PetersonCo-Founder and Chief Executive Offi cer of Inveneo

Digital Finland

1

4

5

6

7

8

10

Laureates of the 2011 ITU AwardConnecting communitiesWSIS Forum 2011

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 20112

WSIS Forum 2011Connecting communities

Connecting communities

India’s profi les of progressCommon Service Centres Taking mobile banking to the people

InveneoEmpowering rural and underserved communitiesThe Haiti Rural Broadband initiative

WSIS StocktakingICT success stories highlight innovation and sustainabilityA public–private partnership for sustainable development in AfricaThe École des Sables

WSIS Forum 2011

Agenda

ICT in the United Arab EmiratesDelivering on WSIS goals

ITU at a glance

WSIS Forum 2011Leaders converge on Geneva to re-energize the development agendaMobile miracle continues to transform lives in the world’s least developed countries

17

23

32

38

40

43

48

Laureates of the 2011 ITU Award

3

Contents

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011

Message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Information and communication technologies have

transformed the global landscape. They power the

world economy and have become the great enablers

of modern society, helping people communicate across

distances and cultural divides, facilitating trade and

commerce, and providing access to critical resources

such as health care and education.

Recent events around the world, in particular in

North Africa and the Middle East, have also highlighted

the catalytic role that mobile phones and social media

can play in galvanizing public opinion against repres-

sion. And in the aftermath of natural disasters that have

struck with greater frequency and force, we have seen

how these technologies are a vital part of the aid re-

sponse, establishing lines of communication that can

save lives, reunite families and help emergency relief

reach people in need.

The theme of this year’s World Telecommunication

and Information Society Day, Better life in rural commu-

nities with information and communication technolo-

gies, highlights the need to harness the full potential

of these technologies for the benefi t of the world’s

rural population. Of the developing world’s 1.4 billion

extremely poor people, 70 per cent live in rural areas.

Their lives can be transformed as we connect village

schools to information and knowledge on the Internet,

bring telemedicine to far-fl ung rural health centres,

provide accurate weather information to farmers and

fi shermen, and supply up-to-date market information to

producers.

The International Telecommunication Union and its

partners continue striving to connect the world. I wel-

come these efforts, especially the drive to bring broad-

band to every community. Broadband telecommuni-

cations will make it possible to deliver content to the

remotest rural districts.

As we bridge the digital divide, we narrow the

chasm that separates those with and without access

to information and knowledge, thereby broadening

opportunities for a better life. Greater access means

earlier achievement of the United Nations Millennium

Development Goals. It means less poverty and hunger,

and more environmental sustainability. And it translates

into greater equality and empowerment for women and

the underprivileged.

On this World Telecommunication and Information

Society Day, let us resolve to connect rural communities

and the entire world to the digital revolution as a means

of achieving our development goals and fostering peace

and prosperity for all.

UN

Pho

to/M

ark

Gar

ten

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 20114

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day Message

ITU honours Tarja Halonen, Sam Pitroda and Kristin Peterson

ITU marked its 146th anniversary and World

Telecommunication and Information Society Day on

17 May 2011 by honouring three contributors to the

digital revolution.

Announcing the Awards, ITU Secretary-General

Hamadoun I. Touré lauded the dedication of the three

eminent laureates in promoting ICT as a means of

providing a better life for humanity, particularly in rural

communities. “As we focus on extending the reach of

ICT to the remotest rural communities, it is my pleasure

to honour those who have dedicated themselves to har-

nessing the full potential of ICT so that we can all enjoy

a more productive, peaceful and better life,” Dr Touré

said.

President Tarja Halonen of Finland is co-chairman of the High-level United Nations Panel on Global Sustainability, supporting sustainable sourcing, access to education, and improving maternal health in low-income countries. President Halonen has helped to make Finland a centre for ICT innovation and productivity, especially in the mobile phone sector.

Telecommunication innovator Sam Pitroda is Adviser to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, and Chairman of the National Innovation Council of India. He is largely responsible for India’s telecommunications revolution and has campaigned for bridging the global digital divide. Mr Pitroda has linked technology with better delivery of services for the underprivileged.

Kristin Peterson is CEO of Inveneo, a non-profi t social enterprise that takes computers, Internet access and telephony to rural and underserved communities in the developing world. Inveneo offers cost-effi cient and sustainable solutions that include ultra-low-power computing and long-distance wireless connectivity, partnering with local entrepreneurs for in-country deployment.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 5

ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award Meet the laureates

Tarja HalonenPresident of the Republic of Finland

Tarja Halonen is the 11th President

of Finland and the country’s fi rst

female Head of State. She acceded

to offi ce on 1 March 2000, and was

re-elected in 2006.

Ms Halonen was born in Helsinki

on 24 December 1943. She gradu-

ated from the University of Helsinki

in 1968 with a Master of Laws de-

gree. From 1970 and throughout

her political career (which began in

1974) she worked as a lawyer for

the Central Organization of Finnish

Trade Unions.

Tarja Halonen joined the Social

Democratic party in 1971, and in

1974 was appointed Parliamentary

Secretary to the Prime Minister.

She was elected to Parliament

in 1979, and subsequently re-

elected four times. In Parliament

she served as Chair of the Social

Affairs Committee (1984–1987),

Deputy-Chair of the Legal Affairs

Committee (1991–1995) and Chair

of the Grand Committee (1995).

In parallel, Ms Halonen served fi ve

terms on the Helsinki City Council

(1977–1996).

Tarja Halonen served as Minister

of Social Affairs and Health (1987–

1990), Minister of Justice (1990–

1991), Minister of Foreign Affairs

(1995–2000) and Minister respon-

sible for Nordic cooperation (1989–

1991). During her time as Foreign

Minister, Finland held for the fi rst

time the Presidency of the European

Union from July to December 1999.

Tarja Halonen has also played an

active role at the Council of Europe,

fi rst as Deputy-Chair of the Finnish

Delegation to the Parliamentary

Assembly (1991–1995) and later

in the Ministerial Committee. She

was also a member of the Council

of Europe’s Committee of Wise

Persons (1998–1999).

She has served as co-Chair

of the World Commission on the

Social Dimension of Globalization

(2002–2004) following her appoint-

ment by the International Labour

Organization (ILO). She has chaired

the Council of Women World

Leaders since March 2009. And in

August 2010, she was appointed

co-Chair of the UN Secretary-

General’s High-Level Panel on

Global Sustainability.

Tarja Halonen has built her po-

litical career on promoting human

rights, social justice and equality.

Under her presidency, Finland be-

came the fi rst country in the world

to make broadband access a legal

right.

Pres

iden

t’s

offi

ce

Shut

ters

tock

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 20116

ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award Meet the laureates

Sam PitrodaAdviser to the Prime Minister Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations

Sam Pitroda is an internationally

respected development thinker,

policy-maker, telecom inventor and

entrepreneur who has spent over

four decades in ICT and related hu-

man and national developments

initiatives.

Credited with having laid the

foundation of India´s telecommu-

nications revolution in the 1980s,

Mr Pitroda has been a leading cam-

paigner to help bridge the global

digital divide.

During his tenure as Adviser to

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the

1980s Mr Pitroda headed six tech-

nology missions related to telecom-

munications, water, literacy, immu-

nization, dairy and oil seeds. He was

also the founder and fi rst Chairman

of India´s Telecom Commission. In

these roles, he helped revolution-

ize India’s development policies and

philosophies with a focus on access

to technology as the key to social

change.

Mr Pitroda was Chairman

of India´s National Knowledge

Commission (2005–2009), an advi-

sory body to the Prime Minister of

India, set up to provide a blueprint

for reform of the knowledge-relat-

ed institutions and infrastructure in

the country.

In his current role as Adviser

to the Prime Minister of India on

Public Information Infrastructure

and Innovations, he is undertaking

several initiatives focused on open

government, democratizing infor-

mation and inclusive growth. He

also chairs the country’s National

Innovation Council, the Smart Grid

Task Force set up under the aegis

of the Ministry of Power and the

Expert Committee on the use of ICT

in Railways. He has also been ap-

pointed a founding Commissioner

of the Broadband Commission

for Digital Development, estab-

lished by ITU and UNESCO with

the backing of the United Nations

Secretary-General.

He holds close to 100 world-

wide patents and has published and

lectured widely in the United States,

Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Offi

ce

of

Ad

vise

r to

PM

/Ind

ia

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 7

ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award Meet the laureates

Kristin Peterson Co-Founder and Chief Executive Offi cer of Inveneo

Kristin Peterson is the Co-Founder

and Chief Executive Offi cer of

Inveneo, a non-profi t social enter-

prise focusing on information and

communication technologies (ICT)

in rural areas throughout the de-

veloping world. With more than

18 years of experience in develop-

ing business and new markets, pri-

marily in the technology and com-

munications industries, Ms Peterson

has been responsible for strategy,

partnership and support develop-

ment since Inveneo’s inception in

2004. She has led Inveneo’s efforts

to provide ICT to deliver education,

health care, economic development

and relief projects in Haiti and in

25 countries throughout sub-Saha-

ran Africa and South Asia, touching

the lives of more than 1.5 million

people.

Before Inveneo, Ms Peterson

founded Velocity Consulting, an or-

ganization providing go-to-market

guidance to a range of network-

ing, wireless and voice over the

Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology

start-ups. Her other previous roles

include Vice-President of Marketing

at an enterprise IP services technol-

ogy start-up, and Executive Director

responsible for business develop-

ment at GoRemote through initial

public offering (IPO). She has also

worked for AT&T in international

product management and mar-

ket development. She has a BS in

Civil Engineering from New Mexico

State University and an MBA in

International Marketing from

Pepperdine University.

Kristin Peterson was named a

CNN Principal Voice in Innovation

and Technology for 2007 and is a

member of the HUB Social Enterprise

Leadership Forum. Through Inveneo

she has been a featured speaker on

ABC News, at the Clinton Global

Initiative and Global Philanthropy

Forum annual meetings, and for

various United Nations and bilateral

agencies, advocating for access to

technology in developing countries.

Inve

neo

Shut

ters

tock

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 20118

ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award Meet the laureates

AFP

/ARC

HIV

ES

9ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011

Digital Finland

Finns dream of their country’s lakes and for-ests, but the view from the rest of the world is of a high-performing digital economy. This year alone has seen this digital excellence heaped with awards and praise.

How does Finland do it? Perhaps one answer is that

in Finland innovative thinking is inextricably linked with

social responsibility, whether in bringing broadband to

every citizen or in fi nding effective ways to protect the

environment. And governmental support is far-sighted,

setting regulatory incentives and funding basic research.

This article highlights some of the examples of Finland’s

digital prowess.

The digital agenda for 2011–2020“Finland has worked hard to develop an equitable

and inclusive information society. We were the fi rst

country in the world to ensure — by legislation — that

all our citizens have the opportunity to use digital ser-

vices — irrespective of their place of residence, whether

in the city or the countryside, or the level of their in-

come,” said President Tarja Halonen of Finland. “Already

now, a good and reasonably priced Internet connection

is everyone’s right in Finland,” she added.

Digitization and the development of the information

society play a key role in sustaining Finnish well-being

and increasing productivity. Effi cient use of information

and communication technologies (ICT) in different sec-

tors of society leads to increased productivity.

Shut

ters

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Helsinki, Finland

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201110

A government report entitled “Productive and in-

novative Finland — digital agenda for the years 2011–

2020”, submitted to Parliament in November 2010,

defi nes future objectives for the development of the

information society, along with the measures necessary

to achieve them.

Key objectives include the opening up of access to

public data and its effi cient use, promoting user-orient-

ed service development, securing the position of ageing

people as active citizens, and promoting sustainable de-

velopment by adopting new technologies.

Having been the fi rst country in the world to de-

fi ne a 1-Mbit Internet connection as a universal service,

the next objective is to make 100-Mbit broadband con-

nections available to virtually all permanent residences,

business premises and public administration offi ces by

the end of 2015.

Content and services play a major role in the devel-

opment of digital Finland. The report recognizes that

services need to be user-friendly and secure, and de-

signed to meet the needs of everyday life. Aspects such

as multilingual versions of services and their accessibility

need to be considered early on at the planning stage.

The needs of people and society provide the starting

point for service development.

Finland’s Minister of Communications, Suvi Lindén

says that “in addition to high-speed connections, the

availability of user-friendly services and information is

important — it lays down the foundation for genu-

ine information society development.” Ms Lindén is a

Commissioner of the Broadband Commission for Digital

Development, established in May 2010 by ITU and

UNESCO.

Awards and praiseThe Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual rankings

put Finland among the world’s leading countries for

using ICT for economic and social benefi t. Finland is

ranked fourth in the 2011 assessment, up from tenth

in 2009.

Finland is singled out for enshrining Internet access

as a basic human right and for its high level use of radio-

frequency identifi cation (RFID). Finnish companies are

among the world’s earliest adopters of RFID technology,

with an 8 per cent use rate compared to an average of

3 per cent in the 27 countries of the European Union.

Finland also scored highly for its business and legal en-

vironment, consumer and business adoption, and social

and cultural environment.

“Finland has worked hard to develop an equitable and inclusive information society. We were the fi rst country in the world to ensure — by legislation — that all our citizens have the opportunity to use digital services — irrespective of their place of residence, whether in the city or the countryside, or the level of their income. Already now, a good and reasonably priced Internet connection is everyone’s right in Finland.”

Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 11

Finland Features

Angry Birds wins the coveted Best Mobile App award

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona announced

on 15 February 2011 that the hugely popular mobile

game Angry Birds, developed by the Finnish company

Rovio, has won two major prizes. Angry Birds won the

coveted Best Mobile App award. According to the jury,

“This is an application that is simple, intuitive, incredibly

addictive, and perfect for ‘snacking’ consumption. It has

underlined the importance of the applications market,

and helped raise the credibility of small independent

developers outside the mainstream.” Angry Birds also

won the App of the Year on the Apple Platform. “This

is the 50 million plus-selling app that catapulted the

benchmark for mobile gaming higher than ever — it is

innovative too in terms of in-application monetization,”

commented the judges.

Following a string of successful game launches in

2010, Finland is now one of the leading game-develop-

er countries in the world. Finnish companies sold more

than a million games in 2010, according to KooPee

Hiltunen, Director of Neogames, the Finnish national

centre of game business research and education.

The digital distribution of games will create further

opportunities for game developers. In the future, games

and simulations may become part of school learning

environments and corporate training methods. The

Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation

(Tekes) supports research and development projects in

the Finnish gaming industry, encouraging growth and

internationalization of the sector.

Technology innovationNokia Siemens Networks has won an award for

its next-generation optical access (NGOA) technology,

which uses a single optical fi bre to bring broadband to

up to 1000 homes at speeds of one gigabit per second

per household. This rate is valid for both uploading and

downloading at distances of up to 100 km from the cen-

tral exchange. Nokia Siemens Networks, headquartered

in Espoo, has demonstrated the approach in its research

labs and is already developing a prototype. The technol-

ogy innovation award was presented at the 2011 Fiber

to the Home (FTTH) Conference by the FTTH Council

Europe — an industry organization that is determined

to speed up the availability of fi bre-based, ultra high-

speed access networks to consumers and businesses.

Salo — Birthplace of Nokia

Salo is the birthplace of Nokia Mobile Phones and

home to Nokia Plc. The Nokia Salo site is a hotbed

of research and development, preproduction and

manufacturing, and is one of the world’s most

modern centres for wireless terminal devices.

Known today for high-level technology expertise,

Salo has attracted companies specializing in wireless

communication. Nokia’s success in “connecting

people” has stimulated investment by international

companies and drawn a huge number of high skilled

ICT-professionals to the area. The extensive research

and development activities in Salo have created a

strongly innovative environment.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201112

Features Finland

“Nokia Siemens Networks’ NGOA will allow opera-

tors to provide virtually unlimited bandwidth in their

connectivity networks,” said Alexander Niepel, Head

of NGOA business development at Nokia Siemens

Networks. “It is not about fi bre-to-the-home applica-

tions alone. NGOA has the ability to transform busi-

ness and enterprise connectivity,” he added. NGOA is

designed to coexist with passive optical networks (PON)

systems, allowing for a seamless upgrade from current

optical connectivity systems. Nokia Siemens Networks

is also working closely with the Full Service Access

Network (FSAN), the body looking into future optical

connectivity standards.

Recycling server wins Green ICT competition A recycling server developed by Aalto University’s

research group for environmental technology has won

Finland’s Green ICT competition. This competition is or-

ganized by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology

and Innovation (Tekes) and the Finnish Federation for

Communications and Teleinformatics (FiCom) to pro-

mote innovative ideas that not only improve quality of

life and of the environment, but also create new busi-

ness activities. The recycling server produces data on

the volume and type of waste produced in a residential

building. By providing guidance for recycling, the recy-

cling server reduces the cost of refuse services and helps

prevent the creation of waste. The volume of different

types of waste — such as biowaste, paper, cardboard,

glass and metal — can be monitored in the same way

as water or energy consumption is measured. The server

tracks waste accumulation and collection in real time.

Refuse collection companies can use the service for

planning and invoicing based on weight. A basic model

of the recycling server will be developed and tested in

several pilot areas.

While general information is available to everyone

on the Internet, property-specifi c data can be seen only

by residents and housing companies.

AFP

/NO

TIM

EX

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 13

Finland Features

Joint initiatives to keep our planet green and to promote 3D Internet

Energy-effi cient datacentresA joint project between Finland’s ICT sector and

Motiva, a government agency promoting effi cient and

sustainable use of energy and materials, aims to reduce

the total consumption of electricity by datacentres de-

spite the increasing number of servers. Motiva estimates

that datacentres account for about 0.5 to 1.5 per cent

of total electricity consumption in Finland.

Launched in autumn 2010, the project is examining

the current state of energy effi ciency in Finnish data-

centres and the possibilities for improving their perfor-

mance. Finland has already improved datacentre infra-

structure and management in various ways, including

by minimizing the amount of electricity used by servers

and locating datacentres near cooling waterways, as

well as by capturing the heat generated by datacentres

and feeding it into district heating networks.

In November 2011, the project will publish guide-

lines for monitoring the energy use of datacentres, and

recommend indicators for use in measuring energy ef-

fi ciency. The project will also examine the possibilities

offered by Finland’s climate to create energy-effi cient

cooling.

Research on environmental monitoringA research programme on environmental moni-

toring and services has been launched by the Finnish

Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation

for Energy and Environment (CLEEN Oy). The pro-

gramme will create new tools, standards and meth-

ods for environmental measurement, monitoring and

decision-making. It will promote new applications and

TeliaSonera Finland is now the major telecommunications

operator in the country offering DSL services. The

operator has also been offering ADSL services through its

brand Auria. In addition to fi xed broadband, TeliaSonera

offers mobile broadband and telephony services.

The other two largest telecom operators with their own

networks are Elisa and DNA, offering fi xed and mobile

services. In addition to these, around 25 regional telecom

operators formed the Finnet group, with each of these

companies owning a fi xed network in their respective

region. The Finnet group of companies do not have

their own mobile networks, but many offer retail mobile

services as mobile virtual network operators. Other

major players that own their own fi xed networks include

AinaCom and TDC, both of which offer mobile services.

The largest mobile operators with their own networks are

DNA, Elisa and TeliaSonera.

A particular feature of the broadband market was the

increase in the number of mobile broadband subscribers

coupled with a decline in the number of fi xed broadband

subscribers. Finland is a digital pioneer, so this may be a

trend to watch.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201114

Features Finland

services based on environmental data to improve the

energy and material effi ciency of infrastructures and in-

dustrial processes.

The programme has fi ve-year funding of EUR 50 mil-

lion provided jointly by the Finnish Funding Agency for

Technology and Innovation (Tekes) and the 45 Finnish

companies and research institutes that are involved.

Collaboration between the private sector and academia

Intel and Nokia have established their fi rst collab-

orative research laboratory, the Intel and Nokia Joint

Innovation Center, at the University of Oulu Center for

Internet Excellence. Research activities started in August

2010, with a project on using graphical 3D technology

to create immersive mobile interfaces.

The laboratory will focus on leveraging the rapidly

increasing processing and graphics power of mobile

devices to create new and compelling Internet user

experiences. “The University of Oulu’s focus on future

telecommunication solutions as well as electronics and

photonics made it the perfect location for the Intel and

Nokia Joint Innovation Center,” said Justin Rattner, Intel

Chief Technology Offi cer and Director of Intel Labs.

Intel and Nokia believe that 3D Internet has the

potential to become the next major breakthrough in

mobile user experience. The Oulu region hosts a strong

3D Internet development community, and technologies

such as the open-source virtual reality platform realX-

tend have been created as a result of research in Oulu.

“3D technology could change the way we use our mo-

bile devices and make our experiences with them much

more immersive. Our new joint laboratory with Intel

draws on the Oulu research community’s 3D interface

expertise, and over time will lay down some important

foundations for future mobile experiences,” said Rich

Green, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Offi cer

of Nokia.

No

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 15

Finland Features

Get

ty Im

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/A. C

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Connecting communities

16 ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011

India’s profi les of progress

India has emerged as one of the fastest growing econo-

mies in the world in the past ten years. Progress is attrib-

utable to reforms in the fi nancial sector, the progressive

and pro-development policies of successive govern-

ments, collaborative efforts by corporate and civil soci-

ety organizations and, above all, the role of information

and communication technologies (ICT) and new media

technologies in enabling growth at the bottom of the

pyramid.

Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister of India

on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations re-

calls the 1980s when it was still “unheard of in the de-

velopment paradigm of the time to bring state-of-the-

art technology to a third world country”. The reforms

introduced in the 1980s have put India fi rmly on the

path towards becoming a knowledge and information

society. “Today, we are recognized globally as world

leaders in IT and we have created our own multinational

companies, and our IT entrepreneurs have placed the

AFP

“Today, we are recognized globally as world leaders in IT and we have created our own multinational companies, and our IT entrepreneurs have placed the country on the world map in a big way. This has given us signifi cant confi dence, and allowed us to dream bigger and better. From 2 million phones, today we are a nation of 700 million phones, and adding more, month after month. We will soon be a nation of 1 billion connected people! This nation of a connected billion people challenges us to think differently and innovatively.”Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 17

C

harl

es S

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SMA

country on the world map in a big way. This has given

us signifi cant confi dence, and allowed us to dream big-

ger and better. From 2 million phones, today we are a

nation of 700 million phones, and adding more, month

after month. We will soon be a nation of 1 billion con-

nected people! This nation of a connected billion people

challenges us to think differently and innovatively,” says

Mr Pitroda.

Common Service CentresAs part of the National e-Governance Plan, a net-

work of over 100 000 Common Service Centres is be-

ing established that will link more than 600 000 villages

across the country. The centres will be front-end deliv-

ery points for public, private and social sector services in

rural areas. They will offer web-enabled public services,

making it possible to download application forms and

certifi cates, and pay electricity, telephone, water and

other utility bills.

The Common Service Centres are a strategic step in

introducing e-governance on a massive scale. They will

create an environment that is conducive for the private

sector and nongovernmental organizations to play an

active role, as partners of the government, in the devel-

opment of rural India. The scheme envisages a three-tier

structure consisting of the operator of the centre (the

village-level entrepreneur), the service centre agency

(responsible for 500–1000 centres) and a state-desig-

nated agency responsible for managing the implemen-

tation of the centres throughout the state.

At village level, Manjusha Kumari yearned to make a

difference to the society in which she lives. “As a house-

wife, I actively participated in the training organized

for women entrepreneurs in Mandi. As the operator of

a centre, the services that I am now making available

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201118

Features India

include: mobile recharges, insurance services, providing

government forms, pan card applications and all other

offl ine services”, she explains.

The Common Service Centres scheme was approved

by the Government of India in 2006 and is being imple-

mented as a public-private partnership. The scheme is

expected to deliver content, services, information and

knowledge, allowing like-minded public and private en-

terprises to integrate their goals (both for profi t and for

social objectives) into a sustainable business model for

achieving rapid socio-economic change in rural India.

“I always dreamt of starting my own venture. When

the Common Service Centres project was launched in

Manipur, I knew that here is an opportunity that would

not only let me start my own work, but also allow me

to serve my village”, says Sinam Jagdish, now a centre

operator.

By 30 April 2011, a total of 94 786 centres had been

rolled out in 31 states. It is expected that the roll-out of

100 000 centres will be completed by June 2011.

Taking mobile banking to the people Access to basic fi nancial services is an unrealized

dream for millions of people around the world, particu-

larly those living in rural and remote areas.

In India, according to data from the National Sample

Survey, 51 per cent of 89 million farmer households

have no access to credit, even from non-institutional

sources. Only 27 per cent of farm households manage

to raise money from formal sources.

Earlier initiatives taken by the government and the

reserve bank aimed at providing basic fi nancial services

for everyone have had limited impact. A directive from

the reserve bank (the regulator and supervisor of the

fi nancial system) to open “no-frills accounts” and to use

“business correspondents” to reach unbanked citizens

has not improved the situation signifi cantly. A bank

branch in India serves about 16 000 people, and banks

fi nd it diffi cult to operate a large number of tiny ac-

counts and micro-transactions profi tably. But things are

changing, thanks to mobile technology.

No

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 19

India Features

Basic fi nancial services through mobile phones

The vision of empowering the poor, wherever they

may be, has been central to the government’s devel-

opment agenda. One sure way of empowering people

in rural communities is through fi nancial inclusiveness

— enabling them to own and operate bank accounts.

This is also critical to the government’s ability to trans-

fer cash benefi ts to the poor under the various welfare

schemes.

The recent dramatic increase in mobile hand-

set use by poor people, both urban and

rural, holds great promise for bring-

ing branchless banking to com-

munities that have no access

to basic fi nancial services. It

offers a way of building vi-

able and scalable models to

deliver micro-payments and

micro-credit.

To take the vision a step

closer to reality, the government

set up an inter-ministerial group in

November 2009 to work out the rel-

evant norms and modalities that would

make mobile banking an integral part of bank-

ing services.

After extensive discussions among members of the

group and other stakeholders, including representatives

of banks, telecom providers, security agencies and the

public, and meetings of the group and its sub-group,

the inter-ministerial group fi nalized its report in March

2010. A government committee met in April 2010

to consider the recommendations made by the inter-

ministerial group, and approved the recommended

framework as the basis for delivering fi nancial services

using mobile technology.

Framework for mobile bankingWith the number of mobile subscribers in rural ar-

eas far outstripping the number of holders of bank ac-

counts, a large section of the rural population now has

access to mobile telephony but not to fi nancial services.

The provision of basic fi nancial services through the in-

dividual’s mobile phone will reach out to the un-

banked sections of the country. It will also

enhance the government’s ability to

reach the poor with cash benefi ts

under various government wel-

fare schemes.

The framework envisages

the creation of “mobile-linked

no-frills accounts” by the

banks, which can be operated

using mobile phones. The basic

transactions permissible though

these accounts will include cash

deposit, cash withdrawal, balance

enquiry, transfer of money from one mo-

bile-linked account to another, and transfer of

money to a mobile-linked account from a regular bank

account. The framework will also facilitate the trans-

fer of funds under various government schemes, such

as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, to a

mobile account.

In order to operate the framework immediately,

while ensuring interoperability and interfacing with the

country’s ID numbers system, the following two modes

of service access have been proposed:

Cash withdrawal

Transfer fromregular bankaccount and government

schemes

Cash deposit

Balance enquiryAccount to account transfer

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201120

Features India

PIN system using mobile banking point of sale

biometric (fi ngerprint) system using the unique

ID numbers issued by the Unique Identifi cation

Authority of India.

The framework will be able to accommodate other

means of access as and when the technology evolves.

Basic transactionsPeople with their own mobile phones will be able

to deposit cash into and withdraw cash from their

“mobile-linked no-frills” bank accounts through a “busi-

ness correspondent” with a mobile phone in the village.

Also, any two mobile users with no-frills accounts will

be able to transfer money directly to each other, specify-

ing only their mobile numbers, without going through

a business correspondent. When fully implemented, the

model will enable a single business correspondent in the

village to be shared by all the banks to support basic

deposit and withdrawal transactions.

To ensure interoperability among service providers

— banks and mobile service providers — and to reduce

costs, there will be a simplifi ed common template for

“know your customer” requirements. There will also be

interoperable repositories at the national level, to host

and manage mobile-linked no-frills accounts, thereby

substantially reducing transaction costs. This will make

the handling of large volume micro-transactions viable.

A signifi cant safety feature is that funds remain

within the banking system throughout, and the inter-

mediary does not have custody of the funds even mo-

mentarily. With this in mind, it is recommended that

for-profi t corporate entities be allowed to function as

business correspondents. It is also recommended that

the reserve bank relax its stipulation that the business

correspondent or sub-agent should be within a 30-km

distance of a branch of the sponsoring bank.

An administrative structure is recommended for

setting standards, supervising operations and ensur-

ing transparency and fair play in mobile-linked no-frills

operations.

A. M

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 21

India Features

The futureRoll-out of the mobile banking service to extend

basic fi nancial services to the unbanked population is

expected to be completed by December 2011.

The service, based on mobile phones and biomet-

ric authentication, will form the core micro-payment

platform for the transfer of benefi ts under various

government schemes, micro-payment services and

fi nancial inclusion for the target groups of social sector

programmes.

Besides delivery of basic fi nancial services to the

poor and disadvantaged, both urban and rural, the mo-

bile delivery of fi nancial services will cut delay, and re-

duce the costs and hardships incurred by benefi ciaries in

getting the cash benefi ts to which they are entitled un-

der the various welfare and poverty alleviation schemes.

Mobile-linked no-frills bank accounts for rural inhabitants in India

A mobile-linked no-frills account is basically a regular no-

frills bank account that can be operated using a mobile

phone. The salient features are:

Customers opening a mobile-linked no-frills account will

have to comply with the “know your customer” norms

prescribed by banks.

Every mobile-linked no-frills account will be held by a

bank.

The customer will designate a primary mobile-linked

no-frills account to carry out the various transactions.

Banks may engage the services of a third party (such as

an existing institution managing no-frills accounts for the

banks) to manage mobile-linked no-frills accounts, but

banks will remain the ultimate owners of the mobile-

linked no-frills accounts.

Money will be stored in the mobile-linked no-frills

account and not in the user’s mobile phone.

The mobile phone will simply be the medium for

accessing the money.

Loss of the mobile phone or SIM card will not result in

the loss of money.

The normal rates of interest paid by savings banks will

be payable on the mobile-linked no-frills account.

All basic transactions (deposits, credits, withdrawals,

balance enquiries, transfers) will be independent of the

intermediate service providers.

Transactions will be executed in real time.

The maximum value of each kind of transaction

(deposit, withdrawal or transfer) will be Rupees

5000 per day and Rupees 25 000 per month.

The minimum balance requirement for these mobile-

linked no-frills accounts will be zero.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201122

Features India

Empowering rural and underserved communities

Inveneo is a non profi t social enterprise with a mission

to connect and empower rural and underserved com-

munities in the developing world through information

and communication technologies (ICT). The company

specializes in delivering sustainable ICT in challenging

environments. It typically works in places where there is

little power or Internet service, and where local staff has

limited ICT skills. These places are often dusty, hot and

humid. Taking all these factors into account, the fi rm

identifi es appropriate hardware, power sources and

connectivity options. Then it designs affordable, reliable

ICT systems to best meet the needs of the organizations

it serves, enabling them to better deliver health care,

economic development and relief services to some of

the poorest communities in the world.

Local design, deployment and support are as im-

portant for sustainability as using the right technolo-

gies. Inveneo works to develop these skills with local

ICT entrepreneurs. It engages in long-term partnerships

with entrepreneurs, providing them with training and

connecting them with other partners so that they can

share knowledge and ideas. This not only helps ensure

project sustainability, but also creates jobs and builds

business opportunities to serve rural and underserved

areas. This programme — the Inveneo Certifi ed ICT

Partner (ICIP) Program — has been implemented in

25 countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and South

Asia. Together, Inveneo and its local partners have deliv-

ered projects touching and changing the lives of more

than 1.5 million people.

In partnership with local Internet service providers

and Haitian entrepreneurs, Inveneo plans to bring eco-

nomic and educational opportunities to Haiti in 2011

through a rural broadband connectivity programme

that it is deploying now (see article on pages 25–30).

Org

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/Cis

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Daniel Ogwang’, manager of Nyangweta Community Knowledge Center, Nyangweta, Kenya

®

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 23

FJ C

ava,

Inve

neo

Recent examples of Inveneo’s work Improving education through solar-powered

ICT in Uganda: Inveneo has transformed Ugandan

entrepreneur CLS from a computer retailer to a value-

added supplier of appropriate rural solutions. Through

a government procurement contract, Inveneo and

CLS have piloted computer education in schools. The

government is now committed to scaling up the pro-

gramme to more than 300 schools in 2011.

Building capacity at university level in Uganda

and Kenya for delivery of rural ICT: Inveneo joined

forces with ITU’s Telecommunication Development

Bureau to deliver a pilot programme that trains

technology students in ICT entrepreneurship, and

in designing and deploying ICT in challenging rural

environments.

Microfi nance support in Sierra Leone: Inveneo,

in partnership with Enterprising Solutions Global

Consulting and the Microfi nance Investment and

Technical Assistance Facility, designed and deployed

low-power and low-cost computing systems for two

local microfi nance organizations. The systems provide

reliable access to account records, paving the way

for growth in microfi nance services. Inveneo has also

trained fi ve local ICT service providers, who will now be

able to provide such systems to other organizations in

Sierra Leone.

Trainee, ITU/Inveneo training, Makerere University, Uganda

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201124

Features Inveneo

The Haiti Rural Broadband initiative

The World Bank estimates that every 10 per cent in-

crease in broadband penetration can yield an increase

of as much as 1.4 per cent growth in gross domestic

product (GDP). Policy-makers no longer ask whether to

promote broadband access, they want to know how to

do it most effectively.

In rich and middle-income countries, governments are

pushing through regulatory reforms to promote private

investment in broadband service and creating fi nancial

incentives, including subsidies, for private providers.

But how can low-income countries close the broad-

band gap? The answer may well be a new model for

delivering broadband service that is both collaborative

and low-cost. The essential components of such a mod-

el already exist. What is needed is a coordinated effort

to bring them together.

The Inveneo-led Haiti Rural Broadband initiative is

a multi-faceted effort to bring sustainable broadband

access to underserved parts of Haiti. The idea is to cut

costs by using low-cost wireless technologies, building

local capacity to deploy and support the broadband in-

frastructure, and innovating with cooperative network

ownership and management.

Inveneo’s initiative is bringing connectivity to for-

merly isolated communities through an innovative

coalition of organizations that includes Haitian-owned

Internet service providers, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund,

Google, Microsoft, NetHope, The EKTA Foundation, the

USAID Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance, and

many other organizations and donors.

The short-term objective is to bring affordable, reli-

able and sustainable broadband access to 6 regions and

20 unserved population centres across Haiti. The longer-

term goal is to explore how the Haiti Rural Broadband

model can be replicated in rural and low-resource areas

across the developing world.

And

ris

Bjo

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Andris Bjornson, Inveneo CTO, surveys line-of-sight for Port-au-Prince wireless broadband network immediately after the earthquake,

Haiti

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 25

Inveneo Features

Governments are usually the force behind broad-

band expansion, but where governments are incapable

of playing this role, nongovernmental actors can still

make signifi cant progress.

The Haiti Rural Broadband initiative consists of an

ecosystem of stakeholders — donors, Internet service

providers, local IT entrepreneurs, implementing partners

and strategic “anchor tenants” — engaged in a partner-

ship to increase broadband access at low cost.

Ultra-low cost wireless technologyThe biggest obstacle to market-based provision

of broadband service in underserved areas is the high

cost of deploying the networks. Proprietary commercial

technologies designed for high-density urban markets

are expensive to install and operate, besides not being

well suited to rural and low-density settings.

Meanwhile, the cost of off-the-shelf radio network-

ing technologies has fallen and their performance has

improved. These products are based on open standards,

such as 802.11/Wi-Fi, so they are relatively easy to sup-

port. The Haiti Rural Broadband initiative is possibly the

fi rst attempt to deploy these technologies on a national

scale.

Shared network infrastructureTowers and power systems account for most of the

capital costs of wireless network deployment. Policy-

makers now encourage or mandate shared infrastruc-

ture in low-density and poor areas. The Haiti Rural

Broadband initiative takes the principle of shared infra-

structure one step further, working with service provid-

ers and strategic customers to use existing infrastruc-

ture to support the network and reduce costs.

The Haiti Rural Broadband network will be carrier-

neutral. It will be cooperatively owned and operated,

and service providers will be allowed access to the net-

work on a non-discriminatory basis. This will ensure

price competition and open access for customers. The

Haiti-based legal entity that will own and manage the

network infrastructure will not be an Internet service

provider, and will therefore be exempt from licensing

requirements.

Local entrepreneurship and ICT capacityOne reason why carriers do not invest in serving

remote and low-density areas is the high cost of de-

ployment and support. To reduce these costs, Inveneo

trains local entrepreneurs to connect new users to the

network and provide ongoing IT support. This lowers

operating costs for carriers, increases network uptime

and promotes local income generation. The trained en-

trepreneurs build their businesses by selling services to

broadband customers and contracting with Internet ser-

vice providers to provide broadband services.

Lower bar for participationWhat about incumbent carriers? By fl exibly combin-

ing low deployment costs, trained local support capac-

ity and seed funding for network roll-out, the Haiti Rural

Broadband initiative entices Internet service providers to

participate. Two major ISPs are now on board. It also

reduces their ability to obstruct.

The fi rst backbone links to the Central Plateau are

under way, and the incentives to join in will increase

when the fi rst customers come online.

As Jerry Joseph says: “Through the BATI program, Inveneo is giving me a chance to link Haitian

communities to the rest of the world and to run my own business ‘JiGab-IT Plus’ in Leogane where there

were no ICT opportunities before.”

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201126

Features Inveneo

Focus on strategic “anchor tenants”Few individual Haitians in the target population can

afford a personal broadband Internet connection or the

computing equipment to take full advantage of it. The

Inveneo approach is therefore to identify “anchor ten-

ants”— organizations such as schools, hospitals or clin-

ics — that will be the initial clients. These organizations

have the resources to pay for services, and they are well

positioned to make broadband directly accessible to the

local population.

The six target regions were selected, in part, be-

cause of their relatively high concentration of potential

anchor tenants.

Support for the initiative On 7 December 2010, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

announced a grant of USD 743 000 to Inveneo to ac-

celerate the development of the Haiti Rural Broadband

project. The grant also supports training for Haitian ICT

entrepreneurs.

“The power of this programme is that in addition

to enabling rural communities with high-speed connec-

tions, we are also providing Internet connectivity that

can be resold to Haitian Internet cafés, community or-

ganizations and other businesses, stimulating economic

growth. Just as important, turning over networks to

Haitian Internet service providers and training Haitian

technicians will lay the building blocks for Haitians to

FJ C

ava,

Inve

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March 2011 BATI Class, Haiti

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 27

Inveneo Features

own and grow these services,” said Gary Edson, Chief

Executive Offi cer of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Immediately following Haiti’s devastating earth-

quake, Inveneo wirelessly connected many members of

NetHope, a consortium of major international nongov-

ernmental organizations. Several weeks later, by part-

nering with technology organizations on the ground,

such as Haitian Internet service providers Multilink and

Access Haiti, Inveneo had connected 18 nongovern-

mental organization offi ces in 35 locations. After a few

months of operation, Inveneo turned this network over

to the Haitian Technology Group, a local fi rm trained by

its engineers.

“Through our work in Africa and Asia, we have seen

that developing local capacity to manage and own in-

country information and communication technologies

is a key driver of economic growth. The investment in

our network helps us deliver this key economic driver to

rural parts of Haiti,” commented Kristin Peterson, Co-

Founder and Chief Executive Offi cer of Inveneo.

A replicable model for rural broadband services in low-income countries?

Lessons learnedCan the Haiti Rural Broadband model be repeated

elsewhere? What factors make the model appropriate

in other low-resource settings? The main factors are dis-

cussed below (starting with the most important ones).

Legal and regulatory environmentThe rural broadband service model requires a hospi-

table legal and regulatory environment.

In Haiti, although there is no universal service fund

to support the initiative, Inveneo has worked directly

with the national telecom regulator (Conatel) to ensure

that the Haiti Rural Broadband model does not run afoul

of existing or planned regulations. One advantage is

that the use of open frequencies is permitted through-

out the country.

Physical environmentLow-cost networking technologies are central to the

model. The cheapest use Wi-Fi (802.11) and open fre-

quencies (2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz), which require line-of-

sight between radios. Both topography and vegetation

are therefore critical factors as they can impede point-

to-point wireless links.

Haiti’s physical environment combines both good

and bad scenarios for wireless networking. The Central

Plateau region is well suited to point-to-point wireless,

with high peaks surrounding wide, open valleys and lim-

ited forest cover. In the southwest, however, mountains

and dense forest will make reaching large numbers of

customers more challenging.

“Through our work in Africa and Asia, we have seen that developing local capacity to manage and own in-country information and communication technologies is a key driver of economic growth. The investment in our network helps us deliver this key economic driver to rural parts of Haiti.”

Kristin Peterson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Offi cer of Inveneo

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201128

Features Inveneo

In general, the model is less likely to be successful

in mountainous and densely forested regions (such as

coastal West Africa) than it is in more arid and open

settings (for example, East Africa). Regardless of terrain,

regions that are extremely remote would require a large

number of relays and may not be reachable using ter-

restrial Wi-Fi backhauls. Such regions may require alter-

native backhaul infrastructure.

Anchor tenant demographicsThe model relies on a baseline level of demand for

service, typically from organizations that are already

providing vital services — such as education, health or

relief — in targeted areas.

Haiti has long been a focal point for international aid

and relief organizations. The devastating earthquake of

2010 only increased their numbers and prompted many

to extend their work outside of Port-au-Prince. Inveneo

used open-source mapping tools and on-the-ground

contacts to identify clusters of potential anchor tenants.

These clusters served as the starting point for network

design.

Market competition and Internet bandwidthThe model is best suited to settings where several

similarly sized Internet service providers operate in a

competitive market. This means that no single carrier is

able to obstruct the roll-out of services. Also, there must

Site legend

Planned distributionsites

Planned core sites

Potential areas of future expansion

Haiti Rural Broadband Network plans, May 2011

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 29

Inveneo Features

be adequate Internet connectivity to support demand at

a cost that the market can bear.

Most of Haiti’s leading Internet service providers and

carriers expressed an interest in joining the Haiti Rural

Broadband initiative. Inveneo and its partners are also

working on ways to increase total Internet bandwidth

into Haiti, possibly by adding a spur to an offshore fi bre-

optic cable.

Human capitalCapable, local ICT support is central to the model.

This capacity can be achieved through incremental

training, but depends on the availability of profession-

als who already have at least basic ICT knowledge and

experience.

In Haiti, Inveneo worked through training institu-

tions and mass media to identify more than 60 candi-

dates whose stated qualifi cations met the initial screen-

ing criteria.

Key questions that can be asked when replicating

the Haiti model include: Are there ICT professionals ca-

pable of being trained to deploy and support network

infrastructure in the target region? Is the business op-

portunity suffi ciently enticing to draw entrepreneurs

into rural and remote settings? Which institutions can

help identify and recruit trainee candidates?

Existing infrastructureKeeping costs low means sharing infrastructure

and using what already exists. Key infrastructure is not

limited to that controlled by Internet service providers

and carriers. In Haiti, for example, Inveneo is exploring

access to towers owned by the country’s hundreds of

small radio stations.

Core servicesShared networked services and applications can add

value for anchor tenants at lower roll-out costs. Local

network services that do not require Internet bandwidth

are especially valuable in settings where such Internet

bandwidth is scarce.

In Haiti, Internet bandwidth sells at a premium

because of limited fi bre connectivity into the country.

Inveneo and partners are exploring services and applica-

tions, such as local video conferencing, that add value

without incurring Internet connection fees.

Good newsNarrowing the broadband access gap requires new

rural broadband service models that radically lower the

capital and operating costs of broadband networks.

The good news is that the key components of a sus-

tainable rural broadband service model already exist.

What is needed now is to experiment to see how these

building blocks are best assembled, put into operation

and scaled up.

Learning from the Haiti Rural Broadband initiative,

Inveneo is seeking to defi ne a framework that will make

it easier to implement similar models in other low-re-

source settings. The aim is to provide broadband servic-

es to unserved rural populations throughout the world.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201130

Features Inveneo

No

kia

ICT success stories Innovation and sustainability

The information coming out of Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America paints a picture of projects taking place worldwide, and presents practical details of the methods and resources needed to overcome challenges. The different examples highlight two fundamental concepts of WSIS action: innovation and sustainability.

ITU has seen many success stories from the World

Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process. It

has just published a set of them, collected between

2010 and 2011, to coincide with WSIS Forum 2011.

Not only do such case studies serve as useful models

for stakeholders in other countries, but they also act as

a benchmark of the progress being made in achieving

the vision of an inclusive information society as defi ned

by WSIS.

Examples of note include:

Intersat’s partnership with Voices of Africa for

Sustainable Development to set up rural internet

kiosks to provide connectivity in communities fac-

ing the challenges of poor access to education and

youth employment (see full article on pages 34–36).

Qatar’s launch of the Mada Centre to provide better

education and employment for people with disabili-

ties through customized IT solutions.

WSI

S St

ockt

akin

g

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201132

The E-TIC project in the Sahel region of West Africa,

which helps the sales of farmers and fi shermen, by

training them through a web portal designed in the

local languages of Wolof, Fulani and Bambara.

The Republic of Korea’s national strategy for green

ICT launched in 2009 to provide a framework for

local carbon growth.

IT training for female entrepreneurs in Mali, which

provides women with basic computer skills to close

the gender gap in access to ICT.

Colombia’s programme to offer access to comput-

ers in schools through the use of recycled machines;

and

The Ecole des Sables project which aims to develop

educational opportunities and the teaching of of-

fi cial languages within the Touareg community in

Mali (see story on page 37).

Previous editions of ITU News have also featured

coverage of the ICT revolution in Oman, Wi-Fi access

in the rural areas of the Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia and the use of a web portal to provide an

interactive platform for Bangladeshi farmers known as

E-Krishok.

The challenges and implementation of solutions are

often very specifi c to a particular country but these suc-

cess stories can be transposed into different contexts.

These case studies show innovation and the search for

sustainable solutions, which all stakeholders should

seek to incorporate into their methods of resolution.

Knowledge sharing is an essential component of de-

velopment within the WSIS process and countries are

encouraged to submit their programmes to the online

database of WSIS Stocktaking (www.wsis.org/stocktak-

ing). In this way, all stakeholders can make this database

a key tool in building an inclusive information society

by 2015.

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 33

Innovation and sustainability ICT success stories

ICT success stories A public–private partnership for sustainable development in Africa

In September 2009, Intersat Africa and Voices of Africa

for Sustainable Development joined in partnership to

fi nd ways to reach every rural vil-

lage in Africa with Internet connec-

tivity. The dream these two organi-

zations share is to bring change

through information and com-

munication technologies (ICT) to

those who need it most. They are

implementing a model known as

“Rural Internet Kiosk”, which uses

solar energy and satellite connec-

tion. The partnership assists with

research and development of prod-

ucts and services to provide infor-

mation and communication access

in remote rural areas.

“Those who have never visited

or lived in Africa often ask why

Internet, and more broadly ICT, is

in such high demand by people

who in many cases do not have enough to eat or safe

water to drink. The answer is opportunity,” said Crystal

Watley Kigoni of Intersat Africa Ltd at the ITU Global

ICT Industry Leaders’ Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, in

November 2009.

The rural Internet kiosk has three industrial access

terminals, a solar panel system, and the Get2Net satel-

lite Internet system. The fi rst kiosk was installed at a

school in Nairobi. Having learned about the technology

from this experience, the partnership decided to try to

create a product at the lowest price

possible.

Cost is an important factor to

ensure that potential end-users

can afford the services provided

through the kiosks. Another factor

is showing people how to use the

Internet as a tool of development.

The heart of the challenge is to

bring about social change though a

business model. Consultation with

the people involved and providing

appropriate education are essential

steps.

In February 2010, a grant was

received from the Internet Society

to install a pilot kiosk in the coastal

area of Msambweni, Kenya. This

was implemented with a youth

group, named Voice of Diani, made up of people exactly

like the operators of rural Internet kiosks anywhere in

the world: young and unemployed with limited access

to education. An American volunteer came to teach at

the rural Internet kiosk for six months. There were many

technical diffi culties because of the harsh environment,

and the youth group did not make much money. But

“Before the rural Internet kiosk project we had problems engaging with the youth in the community. Since we began this project, our youth group has grown and members have started many new projects, including a jewellery-making shop that sells internationally.”

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201134

they continued to run the kiosk, earning just enough to

keep the project going.

Ali Bwengo and Gideon Mulandi were the fi rst op-

erators when the kiosk went live. Ali says, “The Internet

has completely changed my life, and I teach many peo-

ple each day how to use the technology to change their

lives as well.” Gideon added, “Before the rural Internet

kiosk project we had problems engaging with the

youth in the community. Since we began this project,

our youth group has grown and members have started

many new projects, including a jewellery-making shop

that sells internationally.”

The Diani pilot project showed Voices of Africa that

there was a need to provide training on how to use the

latest devices, on what ICT can do for development, on

how to run a social enterprise, and on how to use so-

cial media. Voices of Africa decided to build a training

school for unemployed rural African youth.

In September 2010, Voices of Africa opened the

Webuye Youth Empowerment Training Centre in a poor

rural community, where educational levels are low and

development needs are many. The training centre trains

a minimum of 40 youths per month in basic computer

skills and in how to use ICT for development (ICT4D).

Voices of Africa found that it took several months of

training in basic computer skills to build up the local ca-

pacity to a level high enough to use ICT4D. By February

2011, Voices of Africa had trained 20 youths in ICT4D.

These youths are now teaching others in their commu-

nity about development and technology. The success

of these training classes has been enormous and the

classes are booked for months ahead.

In March 2011, Voices of Africa launched a partner-

ship with Africa Nazarene University and its Advanced

Centre for Communications, Enterprise and New

Technologies project. Through this partnership, Voices

of Africa launched a new classroom in Nairobi to train

20 additional students per month in ICT4D. These stu-

dents come from all over East Africa and will be the

operators of the latest version of the kiosk — the solar-

powered advanced rural communications kiosk.

New corporate partners have recently come into the

partnership. Huawei has donated its new IDEOS Android

platform smartphones to be used for training purposes.

The small mobile devices can create a Wi-Fi network

for eight additional devices, setting up the basis of a

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 35

Reaching out for sustainable development in Africa ICT success stories

wireless mesh system. The IDEOS U8150 handset was

launched globally at the end of 2010 and is described

by Huawei as a simple, affordable Android smartphone.

It has a touchscreen display, high-resolution screen, a

3.2 Mega pixel camera and supports functions such as

voice dialling, voice navigation and social networking.

Voices of Africa plans to partner with more device

manufacturers to ensure that more people have ac-

cess to the technical devices required to support devel-

opment. A fund is being established in Kenya to give

micro-loans to all course graduates to acquire the best

low-cost educational devices on the market. All of these

devices require the connectivity and solar power provid-

ed by the advanced kiosks. Intersat Broadband Services

— with assistance and guidance from the Plexus Group,

a consulting fi rm of highly talented telecommunication

industry leaders — is developing a prepaid platform for

Wi-Fi that can turn every advanced kiosk into a cyber-

café that will provide the community with Internet ac-

cess at the lowest possible cost.

The advanced kiosk has the advantage of more solar

power and better technology. It has built-in Wi-Fi with a

radius of 500 metres, and advertising monitors on three

sides to play rotating advertising spots. The training pro-

gramme is directly tied in to the software installed in the

advanced kiosk, and operators are trained to teach and

reach out to the community before the equipment is

put in place. The advertising displays will be sponsored

by corporations and local businesses, and will generate

income, greatly reducing the amount that users of the

kiosk have to pay.

The concept is to create a rural market for the

Internet through the desire for sustainable social, eco-

nomic and political development. All rural communities

want to earn more money to educate their children and

to see real change. Using the advanced kiosk as a com-

munity access point and provider of Wi-Fi for the com-

munity will create employment, knowledge sharing and

long-term sustainable development.

The step from pilot to manufacturing has been a

challenge because of resource constraints. These con-

straints have now been overcome through the fi rst

venture-capital investment. By the end of 2011, it is

expected that there will be more than 120 installations

and ten training centres across half a dozen countries.

Through the process of implementation and feed-

back, the goal is to increase impact over time and create

the change that rural people want to see. The approach

taken by Voices of Africa is to empower the commu-

nity in a way that creates social change and that makes

a profi t for the community. This is the key to sustain-

ability. As Crystal Kigoni says, “The rural Internet kiosk

has the ability to electronically fi ll structural gaps in ru-

ral infrastructure. Everyone in the community can be

equally served… With access to a rural Internet kiosk,

the people will be empowered to join the rest of the vir-

tual world and bring a uniquely different culture to the

global community. The world needs to hear the voices

of Africa from her deepest villages.”

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201136

ICT success stories Reaching out for sustainable development in Africa

The École des Sables

The nomadic Touareg community is one of the oldest

communities in the world, but the absence of educa-

tion for Touareg children restrains the development of

the region. Action must be taken for a better future,

and education is one of the only ways to move forward.

Hence the Ag Assarid brothers decided to create the

École des Sables in 2002 to offer nomadic children ac-

cess to high-quality education.

While parents continue to live as nomads, École

des Sables Saint-Exupéry in Taboye gives children an

education at a residential school which is open all year

around. At the beginning of the school year 2010–

2011, 110 pupils attended the school, of which 86 were

nomadic boarders. There are three classrooms and six

teachers — three women and three men remunerated

by the Malian government. The school applies a teach-

ing method that targets excellence and respects local

cultures. The rate of success at elementary school is

99 per cent and at high school is 100 per cent. Access

to education is necessary for integration into Malian so-

ciety and for Touaregs to learn the offi cial languages

(French and national languages).

A decade after the creation of the École des Sables in

Taboye, the project was expanded to two other schools

in the regions of Timbuktu and Kidal. All three schools

are supported by the Ministry of National Education and

local communities, demonstrating the credibility of the

project. For the two new schools, classrooms have been

rebuilt and a residential school and high school have

been set up. The three schools are all located in north-

ern Mali.

To fi nance the schools, Moussa, a writer, sells his

books through his blog (http://moussa-blog.azawa-

dunion.com), and then donates part of his profi ts and

royalties for the funding of École des Sables residential

schools.

The Internet enables cultural exchanges and the

sharing of ideas on teaching methods between the

Touareg community and schools in France. Such ex-

changes aim to develop a winning partnership between

Écoles des Sables and schools from other countries

around the world.

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 37

The École des Sables ICT success stories

www.wsis.org/forum

WSIS FORUM 201116–20 May, Geneva

“ When supporting activities to bridge the

digital divide, there is a need to follow a life

cycle approach for the ICT equipment to avoid

uncontrolled electrical and electronic waste

dumping in developing countries. The WSIS

Forum 2010 was an excellent place to discuss

this issue and to initiate further work with

concerned partners. ”

Matthias Kern

UNEP Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Switzerland

“ WSIS Forum is a unique opportunity for ITU

Member States to interact with other relevant

ICT stakeholders from civil society, private

sector, academia and industry. ”

Blanca M Gonzalez,

Jefa de Area de Organismos Sectoriales

SETSI-Ministerio de Industria, Madrid, Spain

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201138

O r g a n i s e d b y :

“ In the years the CivicTEC team has been attending the annual WSIS

Forum we have seen it become increasingly engaged with civil society and

the real-world needs of communities worldwide. From e-governance to

linking momentum for the MDGs, the WSIS process is showing the way

forward in harnessing the connective power of networked technologies

for societal change by integrating global and local priorities. ”

Allison Hornery

Co-founder, CIvicTEC

Australia

“ WSIS is a unique platform owing to its truly

global nature. It is inspiring for practitioners

to see examples, share experiences and learn

from different initiatives around the world

which unleashes the immense potential of

ICT for improving human lives. In essence

this forum revitalizes the spirit of all the WSIS

stakeholders by reaffi rming their faith in the

possibilities of ICT. ”

Mirza Farzana Halim

Katalyst-Partners in Business Innovation

Bangladesh

“ Freedom of opinion and freedom of

expression are cardinal both to civil society

and to the information society. CoNGO and

its members promote and defend these

fundamental principles throughout the

WSIS Process. ”

Cyril Ritchie

President

CoNGO

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 39

Opening Ceremony Thematic Workshops

High-Level Dialogues Country Workshops

Closing Ceremony Parliamentary Forum on Building an Information Society

Action Line (AL) Interactive Facilitation Meetings UNGIS High-Level Segment

Interactive Sessions UNGIS Working Level Meeting

Internet Governance Forum (Open Consultations) Publications Releases and Briefi ngs

Internet Governance Forum (MAG) Exhibition Inauguration

Action Line World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2011 (WTISD)

Facilitators Meeting Reception

UNGIS Open Consultations Abbreviations: HL: High-Level | AL: Action Line

Time Monday, 16 May 2011

09:30–10:30 Opening Ceremony (E/F/S) | Governing Body Room | (OverRow Room II: audio only)

Opening Ceremony

10:30–13:00 High-Level Opening Session: Working Together Towards 2015 (E/F/S) | Governing Body Room

High-Level Dialogues

11:00–12:00 UNGIS High-Level Segment (UNGIS Members only)

UNGIS

12:30–13:00 Press Conference (Media only) | Room IV

Press Conference

13:00–13:15 Exhibition Inauguration | Level R3

Exhibition

13:15–14:00 Lunch Break

14:00–14:30 Brief: Broadband Commission

Room V

Brief: Connectivity Scorecard 2011

Room II

Publication: United Arab Emirates

WSIS Committee Report 2010–2011

Room XI

Brief: Girls in ICT Day

Room IX

Publication: India Journey from

Knowledge Economy to Inclusive Information Society — Profi les of Progress | Room IV

Publication Releases and Briefi ngs

14:45–16:15 AL C3 Access: Persons with Disabilities

(UNESCO) | (E/F)Room II

AL C2 ICT Infrastructure (ITU)

Room IX

Education and ICTs (CoNGO)Room IV

Implementation of WSIS Action Lines in India |

(India)Room XI

e.Oman — A strategy that transformed the society

with e-skilled in less than fi ve years | Room V

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Thematic Workshop Country Workshop

16:15–16:30 Break

16:30–18:00 AL C7 E-learning(UNESCO) | (E/F)

Room II

AL C6 Enabling Environment(ITU)

Room IX

Implementation of WSIS Action Lines in UAE

(UAE)Room XI

New challenges to protect children online in the era of

non-stop connectivity Room IV

The Al-Shaifa Hospital Information system — Universal Health

Information hand in hand with Universal Health Care

(Oman) | Room V

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Country Workshop Thematic Workshop

18:00–20:00 Reception Sponsored by UAE Venue: Restaurant du BIT “Le Morillon”, fl oor R2 NORDInternational Labour Organization

WSIS Forum 2011AgendaThis information was correct as of 13 May 2011.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201140

WSIS Forum 2011 Agenda

Time Tuesday, 17 May 2011

09:00–10:30 The Urban Gateway — A global online portal to support town and city management in a rapidly urbanising world

(UN-HABITAT)Room IV

Institutional Choice in Global Communications

Governance (University of Zurich)

Governing Body Room

E-Gov Strategy (UAE)

Room V

Mock Botnet Investigation (World Federation of

Scientists/ITU)Room IX

Thematic Workshop

10:30–11:00 Break

11:00–13:00 WTISD Better Life in Rural Communities with ICTs

(ITU) | (E/F)ITU Premises

(In ILO Premises WTISD Overfl ow Room II; Audio)

World 2011 — Reaching Out

(TELECOM)Governing Body Room

Regional Commissions Room V

Sudan and Sudan telecentre role in WSIS implementation

Room IX

Public dialogue on the impact of the

communication and information technology

transformation and global development

Room IV

WTISD 11:00–12:30 Thematic Workshop Interactive Session Country Workshop Thematic Workshop

13:00–14:00 Lunch Break

14:00–14:30 Publication: Measuring the WSIS targets. A statistical

framework | Room V

Brief: Development of the knowledge base for

vulnerable children online | Room IX

Brief: ICT Discovery, UAE Room XI

Brief: Wireless Networking Training: the ICTP Strategy Governing Body Room

Publication Releases and Briefi ngs

14:45–16:15 AL C8 Culture (UNESCO) | (E/F)

Room II

AL C4 Capacity Building (ITU/UNESCO/ISOC)

Room V

Measuring the ICT Sector for Politial Analysis

(ITU/UNCTAD)Room IX

Domain name Industry in UAE, changing the

landscape (UAE) | Room XI

Implementation of WSIS Action lines in Bangladesh

(Bangladesh)Room IV

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Interactive Session Thematic Workshop Country Workshop

16:15–16:30 Break

16:30–18:00 Child Online Protection in Africa | (ITU) | Room XI

Thematic Workshop

Measuring the ICT Sector for Political Analysis

(ITU/UNCTAD) | Room IX

Managing human recourses at national level — How Oman is managing a huge workforce to supplement its

own | (Oman) | Room V

ICT4D Partnership(ICT4D collective)

Room IV

Interactive Session Thematic Workshop

Time Wednesday, 18 May 2011

09:00–11:15 HL No 1: Right to Communication: New social media and social transformations (E/F) | Room II

HL No 2: Innovation for Digital Inclusion (E/F) | Room V

High-Level Dialogues

10:00–13:00 IGF Open Consultation | Governing Body Room

IGF

11:15–11:30 Break

11:30–13:00 AL C1/C7e-gov/C11 (DESA)Room II

AL C5 Confi dence and Cybersecurity in

Cyberspace (ITU) | Room XI

Capturing the Impact of ICT (WEF)

Room IV

Role and Responsibility of Internet Intermediaries in the Field of Copyright

(WIPO / ISOC)Room IX

Pathways to Sustainable Energy

for ALL (ITU) | Room V

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Thematic Workshop

13:00–14:00 Lunch Break

14:00–14:30 Brief: I meet you at WSIS Forum

Room IX

Brief: International Telecommunication Regulations 2012

Room XI

Brief: UNESCO World Press Freedom DayRoom IV

Publication: E- Environment

Room V

Publication Releases and Briefi ngs

14:45–16:15 Mainstreaming Crisis Mappers and

Social Media in Crisis Management

(ICT4Peace) | Room IV

AL C9 Media (UNESCO) | (E/F)

Room XI

AL C7 e-Environment (UNEP)Room V

AL C7 AL e-Business (UNCTAD/ITC)

Room IX

Parliamentary Forum (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S)

Room II

IGF Open Consultation Governing Body Room

Thematic Workshop Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Parliamentary Forum IGF

16:15–16:30 Break

16:30–18:00 AL C10 Ethics (UNESCO) | (E/F)

Room XI

AL C7 e-Environment (ITU/UNEP/WMO)

Room V

AL C7 e-agriculture (FAO)

Room IX

AL C7 E-health (WHO/ITU)Room IV

Parliamentary Forum (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S)

Room II

IGF Open ConsultationGoverning Body Room

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Parliamentary Forum IGF

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 41

Agenda WSIS Forum 2011

Time Thursday, 19 May 2011

09:00–11:15 HL No 3: ICTs as an Enabler for Development of LDCs

(E/F) | Room II

HL No 4: Building Confi dence and Security in Cyberspace

(E/F) | Governing Body Room

MAG (MAG Members/Open to Observers) | Room IV

High-Level Dialogues IGF

11:15–11:30 Break

11:30–13:00 Greater Government Transparency and Citizen Engagement to Promote Effectiveness and

Accountability in Public Service Delivery (DESA/ITU) | Room IX

Parliamentary Forum (DESA/IPU/ITU)(E/F/S) | Room II

MAG (MAG Members/Open

to Observers)Room IV

Empowering Community Voices Video Volunteers

Governing Body Room

Thematic Workshop Parliamentary Forum IGF Thematic Workshop

13:00–14:00 Lunch Break

14:00–14:30 Publication: M-Government: Mobile Technologies for Responsive Government and

Connected SocietiesRoom XI

Publication: Perspectives on Policy Responses to Online Copyright Infringement —

An Evolving Policy Landscape Room IX

Publication: The Role of ICT in Advancing Growth in Least Developed Countries: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, 2011

ICT and Telecommunications in Least Developed Countries: Review of Progress Made During the Decade 2000–2010

Governing Body Room

Publication Releases and Briefi ngs

14:45–16:15 UNGIS Working Level Meeting

(UNGIS Members only)

AL C3 Access & AL C7 E-science: Open Access (UNESCO, IFLA and EIFL)

(E/F) | Room XI

ICT and Road Safety (ITU)

Governing Body Room

Greater Government Transparency and Citizen Engagement to Promote Effectiveness and

Accountability in Public Service Delivery (DESA/ITU) | Room IX

UNGIS 14:45–18:00 Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting Thematic Workshop

Parliamentary Forum (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S) | Room II

MAG (MAG Members/Open to Observers) | Room IV

Parliamentary Forum IGF

16:15–16:30 Break

16:30–18:00 Remote Participation (ITU/CIVITECH/

Partners) Governing Body Room

WSIS Stocktaking: WSIS Implementation

Success StoriesRoom XI

MAG (MAG Members/Open

to Observers)Room IV

Parliamentary Forum (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S)

Room II

Greater Government Transparency and Citizen Engagement to Promote Effectiveness and

Accountability in Public Service Delivery (DESA/ITU) | Room IX

Interactive Session IGF Parliamentary Forum Thematic Workshop

Time Friday, 20 May 2011

09:30–12:30 WSIS Action Line Facilitators Meeting | (E/F) | Governing Body Room Parliamentary Forum | (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S) | Room II

Interactive Action Line Facilitation Meeting 09:30–12:30 Parliamentary Forum 09:30–11:00

11:15–13:00 Parliamentary Forum | (DESA/IPU/ITU) | (E/F/S) | Room II

Parliamentary Forum

13:00–14:00 Lunch Break

14:30–17:30 UNGIS Open Consultations on overall review of implementation of the WSIS outcomes (WSIS+10) | (E/F)Governing Body Room

UNGIS

17:30–18:00 Closing CeremonyGoverning Body Room

Closing Ceremony

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201142

WSIS Forum 2011 Agenda

ICT in the United Arab EmiratesDelivering on WSIS goals

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

has sought to encourage governments and their key

stakeholders to work together to create the drivers for

effective public-private partnerships and for sustainable

development by setting development goals through its

Action Lines.

WSIS Action Line 1 emphasizes the role of govern-

ment in the promotion of information and communi-

cation technologies (ICT) for development. The United

Arab Emirates (UAE) has made signifi cant progress on

this through a series of innovative programmes, funding

opportunities and groundbreaking initiatives.

The UAE’s WSIS National Committee, which in-

cludes the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority

(TRA), has made impressive efforts to galvanize com-

munity leaders and government and non-government

organizations to commit to the achievement of the

WSIS objectives. Much has been achieved and UAE is

committed to making progress on the higher objectives

of WSIS by 2015.

The UAE WSIS National Report, launched at WSIS

Forum 2011 is an important reference that documents

every step taken by the country in its journey to achieve

WSIS goals.

“WSIS Forum is a unique global platform which

provides an opportunity for reviewing and addressing

the critical issues for WSIS implementation. We are very

grateful to ITU for giving us an opportunity to sponsor

and to be a strategic partner for WSIS Forum 2011 and

we are equally honoured to share our successful experi-

ence with all the participants through the launching of

UAE WSIS National Report. The United Arab Emirates

is committed to WSIS goals and implementation of

its Action Lines,” said Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim,

AFP

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ORL

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ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 43

Sh

utte

rsto

ck

Director General of the UAE Telecommunications

Regulatory Authority.

InfrastructureAs regards Action Line 2, which focuses on the need

to develop information and communication infrastruc-

ture, UAE is now ranked fi rst among Arab countries for

the quality of its infrastructure and connectivity, accord-

ing to the Network Readiness Index 2009–2010.

The ICT Development Index (IDI), developed by ITU,

also profi led UAE as the highest ranked country in the

Arab States region (see Table), and ranked it 29 glob-

ally. The IDI, contained in the report “Measuring the

Information Society 2010”, combines 11 indicators re-

lated to ICT access, use and skills into a single compos-

ite index. The IDI includes 159 countries which enables

benchmarking both on a global and a regional level. The

report categorizes each of the 159 countries into one of

four groups used to describe the level of ICT within the

economy: higher, upper, medium and low.

Regional rank Country IDI rank (global)

First United Arab Emirates 29

Second Bahrain 33

Third Qatar 45

Fourth Saudi Arabia 52

Fifth Kuwait 65

According to the UAE WSIS National Report, the

country is now ranked fourth in the world after Japan,

the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong (China) in terms

of fi bre-optic penetration, with 30.8 per cent of house-

holds and businesses connected to fi bre-optic net-

works. Etisalat plans to spend USD 1.36 billion to build

a nationwide network by the end of 2011.

WSIS Action Line 2 underlines the importance of ICT

infrastructure as a key to social and economic devel-

opment. Governments are encouraged to oversee and

enhance connectivity by providing better broadband

access; connecting educational institutions such as

schools, universities and research centres; and making

access to ICT inclusive for minorities and small societies.

44 ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011

WSIS Forum 2011 United Arab Emirates

Promoting competition in the telecommunication

sector has also benefi ted the development of ICT infra-

structure. Liberalization began in 2007 with the licens-

ing of a second mobile operator Du, and under TRA

supervision, there are ambitious plans for network shar-

ing to benefi t consumers. Sharing networks between

Etisalat and Du means consumers can choose their

service provider for voice, Internet and television. Such

competition not only encourages development of the

ICT industry, but also acts as a stimulus for overall eco-

nomic development of the country.

In February 2010, TRA licensed satellite services

to Yahsat to install, operate and manage satellite and

ground networks in the country. And in July 2010, TRA

granted Star Satellite Communications Company (Star)

a ten-year satellite and broadcasting service licence.

These developments were aimed at establishing UAE as

a premier telecommunications hub by offering world-

class satellite services.

To further benefi t consumers and improve infrastruc-

ture, a switchover to digital-only television is planned

for December 2013. TRA has made UAE one of the fi rst

countries in the Middle East to plan a switchover, which

will give citizens better picture and sound quality, as

well as access to multimedia transmissions.

InitiativesA key element in the UAE government strategy has

been to get the legal framework right. The UAE tele-

communication market has grown from USD 8.2 billion

in 2005 to USD 13.6 billion in 2011, achieving a 20 per

cent rate of annual growth. Much of this has been due

to the new legal framework with TRA issuing several

regulations to foster advancements in the ICT sector.

An e-commerce law was introduced in 2006 (Federal

Law No. 1 pertaining to Electronic Commerce and

Transactions) under which TRA can license and oversee

the activities of e-commerce providers. Etisalat, the na-

tional telecommunication provider, has been licensed as

a Certifi cation Service Provider under the law.

To further drive e-commerce, TRA signed a

Memorandum of Understanding with Dubai eGovern-

ment to act as partners on the Trustae Initiative. The

award of the Trustae Seal to a company trading online

protects citizens’ rights and encourages a better quality

Shut

ters

tock

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 45

United Arab Emirates WSIS Forum 2011

of service by guarantee-

ing that online business-

es with such a mark will

follow a strict code of

conduct in their e-com-

merce dealings.

As well as creating

the legal framework for

ICT development to pros-

per, UAE has set up fund-

ing programmes to stim-

ulate industry growth.

The ICT Fund is the fi rst

of its kind in the Middle

East and is designed to

support innovative re-

search and development

projects and to provide

education and training in

the fi eld. In terms of re-

search and development,

the fund will support

start-ups and nurture

business incubators as well as supporting the creation

of high-quality research and development institutions.

For education, the fund will make available scholarships

for those keen to work in the ICT sector and it will also

provide support to the establishment of institutions of-

fering ICT-related courses.

There is also the Sheikh Khalifa Fund that has the

specifi c goal of supporting small and medium-sized

businesses. The fund focuses on the training of UAE na-

tionals so that they can manage projects independently

as part of a drive to transform Abu Dhabi into an inter-

national investment hub.

Connecting with citizens

Perhaps most no-

table in reviewing the

UAE’s progress on WSIS

Action Line 1, are the

innovations to enhance

interaction with citizens

through ICT services.

The My Government

Initiative, launched by

His Highness Sheikh

Mohammed bin Rashid

Al Maktoum, Vice-

President and Prime

Minister of the UAE and

Ruler of Dubai, is an inte-

grated portal connecting

people directly with fi ve

federal entities.

The initiative aims

to develop services that

would ensure improve-

ment in the federal government’s operational and ser-

vice effi ciency — one of the main pillars of the UAE

Government Strategy 2011–2013. It also intends to

improve the quality of life for UAE nationals, as well as

for expatriates, in line with the country’s Vision 2021.

Sheikh Mohammed launched the portal by sending an

e-mail message of his appreciation to fi ve federal enti-

ties for taking the lead in the development of govern-

ment services.

In the fi rst phase, citizens can interact with the

Ministry of Labour, the Electricity and Water Authority,

the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, the National

UA

E

Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim

Director General of the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority

“ Our initiatives along WSIS Action Lines

have seen considerable progress highlighting

our commitment. Industry leaders have been

encouraged to work with the government to

create an effective public-private partnership

with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable

development. This encourages innovation among

small and medium businesses and advances

research and development activities. ”

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201146

WSIS Forum 2011 United Arab Emirates

Transport Authority and the Ministry of the Interior. The

aim is to improve the services being delivered by these

authorities allowing citizens to give feedback to the ser-

vice providers and thereby enhancing their own quality

of life.

Public employees are also benefi tting from the gov-

ernment’s push to use ICT for development. The Sheikh

Kalifa Government Program, which was introduced in

2006, encourages government authorities to promote

a culture of creativity, loyalty and excellence among

public employees. The Excellence Program complet-

ed its fi rst phase in October 2010 by recognizing and

awarding those models which had demonstrated how

to achieve a sustainable information society within the

federal government.

A further example of connecting citizens has

been an e-books store and e-library scheme, which

was launched in December 2010 by Etisalat and

China’s Huawei Technologies. The pilot project has

been launched at the Khalifa University of Science,

Technology and Research and allows students and fac-

ulty members to access hundreds of written and audio

books online free-of-charge. In addition, through their

smartphones and personal computers, students can ac-

cess lecture notes and laboratory notes. Etisalat plans

to extend the scheme to other universities in UAE, and

eventually to publishing houses within and outside the

country, so that students and consumers can access a

wide spectrum of online content.

“Our initiatives along WSIS Action Lines have seen

considerable progress highlighting our commitment.

Industry leaders have been encouraged to work with

the government to create an effective public-private

partnership with the ultimate goal of achieving sustain-

able development. This encourages innovation among

small and medium businesses and advances research

and development activities,” comments Mr Nasser

Al Ghanim.

AFP

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 47

United Arab Emirates WSIS Forum 2011

WSIS Forum 2011

Leaders converge on Geneva to re-energize the development agenda

Expectations are running high as world leaders con-

verge on Geneva to work out strategies that will more

effectively harness the power of information and com-

munication technologies to accelerate progress to-

wards achievement of the United Nations Millennium

Development Goals and the connectivity targets of the

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) — all

by 2015.

WSIS Forum 2011 has a full agenda. The High-Level

opening session celebrates the partnerships and col-

laboration of the WSIS stakeholders working together

towards 2015. Remember: WSIS is a multi-stakeholder

process and its success in achieving the internationally

agreed goals depends on successful, win-win partner-

ships. So the High-Level opening session will set the

tone for the dialogues and interactive sessions and

country workshops over the fi ve days of WSIS Forum

2011 (16–20 May).

The importance of broadband to national economic

and social development cannot be overemphasized.

“We are all very much aware of how close we are to

the 2015 deadline for meeting the WSIS targets and the

Millennium Development Goals. We have made quite

extraordinary progress in terms of connectivity, the

creation of an enabling environment, and cybersecurity.

The next major step must be to repeat the mobile mira-

cle for broadband Internet,” says ITU Secretary-General

Dr Hamadoun I. Touré.

Innovative broadband models being developed

jointly by multi-stakeholders across the world will go

some way towards providing ICT access to villages,

schools and health centres in remote areas, connecting

Houlin Zhao

Deputy Secretary-General of ITU

ITU

/V. M

arti

n

Dr Hamadoun I. Touré

Secretary-General of ITU

ITU

/V. M

arti

n

ITU

/V. M

arti

n

Malcolm Johnson

Director of the ITU Telecommunication

Standardization Bureau

Brahima Sanou

Director of the ITU Telecommunication

Development Bureau

© E

ric

Flo

gny

François Rancy

Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201148

ITU

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the unconnected in underserved communities and de-

veloping countries.

WSIS Forum 2011 seeks to foster interactive de-

bate and information exchange on a wide range of key

topics such as rural development, multilingualism, en-

vironmental sustainability, education, health care and

innovation. The right to communicate, social media as a

tool for development, and cybersecurity, are among the

other hot issues on the agenda.

This year’s WSIS Forum programme has been greatly

enhanced, thanks to the strategic partnership and con-

tribution of the United Arab Emirates. The Forum has

also benefi ted from contributions of Oman for the series

of workshops, and Mexico for Spanish interpretation.

WSIS Forum 2011 is taking place hot on the heels

of the fourth United Nations Conference on least devel-

oped countries (UNLDC-IV) that took place in Istanbul,

Turkey, from 9 to 13 May 2011. Special reports on both

events will be published in a future issue of ITU News.

Mobile miracle continues to transform lives in the world’s least developed countries

People living in the poorest countries in the world are

benefi ting from a mobile cellular miracle which has seen

access to voice and simple data connectivity rise from

an LDC average of 1.2 per cent of the population to

almost 30 per cent in just ten years, according to fi g-

ures released by ITU at the LDC IV conference (Istanbul,

9–13 May 2011).

This steep rise in phone connectivity far exceeds

the targets set out in the LDC III Brussels Programme

of Action, which called for average telephone density in

LDCs to reach 5 per cent by 2011.

The democratization and rapid spread of mobile

cellular technology — which, in 2001, was still con-

sidered the province of people in wealthy countries

— has transformed the ICT landscape in the world’s

48 UN-designated Least Developed Countries, bringing

connectivity to almost 250 million people in those

nations.

ITU’s latest analysis of strategies to boost ICT pen-

etration and leverage this to accelerate development in

other economic and social sectors was also released at

the conference, in the form of two new reports: ICTs

and Telecommunications in Least Developed Countries

and The Role of ICT in Advancing Growth in Least

Developed Countries.

ITU fi gures confi rm that while the number of fi xed

lines has barely risen in LDCs over the past decade, re-

fl ecting global trends, mobile access has mushroomed,

with cumulative annual growth rates over the past fi ve

years of 42.6 per cent in LDCs compared to just 7.1 per

cent in developed countries.

WSIS Forum 2011

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 2011 49

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But still far too few Internet users in LDCsThe past decade has also seen signifi cant progress

in getting people in LDCs online, with 2.5 per cent av-

erage Internet penetration by the end of 2010, com-

pared to under 0.3 per cent in 2001. But that is noth-

ing like enough, according to ITU Secretary-General Dr

Hamadoun Touré, and remains well below the Brussels

III target of 10 per cent.

“People ask me if Internet penetration is really such a

high priority for people who, on a daily basis, face a lack

of safe drinking water, rising food prices, and a chronic

shortage of health care,” said Dr Touré. “My answer is a

resounding ‘yes’. Because the Internet — and especially

broadband — is an extraordinary enabler which has po-

tential to massively expand the effective delivery of vital

services, such as health care and education. Nowhere is

this more important than in countries where people are

chronically deprived of these services.”

In order to help countries better exploit ICT to drive

development, ITU made fi ve key commitments to the

conference which have been incorporated into the

Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs 2011–2020.

In brief, they cover:

Actions to increase the average phone density in

LDCs to 25 lines per 100 inhabitants and the num-

ber of Internet connections to 15 per 100 inhabit-

ants by 2020.

A comprehensive capacity building and digital inclu-

sion programme.

Strategies to help LDCs maximize the selection and

use of appropriate new technologies, such as broad-

band, digital broadcasting and next-generation

networks.

Assistance in dealing with cybersecurity issues

and strategies to build trust and confi dence in ICT

networks.

Assistance in creating and maintaining a propitious

environment for LDC development through an ena-

bling policy and regulatory environment.

Expanded access to ICT is already bringing services

such as mobile banking to tens of millions of people in

the developing world, giving them a level of fi nancial

power to manage their lives which they have never be-

fore enjoyed.

“There are many reasons to be optimistic,” said Dr

Touré. “In the past two years alone we have seen a re-

markable surge in national and international bandwidth

in developing countries, with several new submarine

cables being landed, and new advanced technologies

which can help affordably bridge the digital divide.

Some of the world’s most disadvantaged countries are

already showing what can be achieved with the right

combination of political will and innovative public-pri-

vate partnership.”

The need to highlight the importance of broadband,

particularly at the national level, is the main reason

why ITU set up the Broadband Commission for Digital

Development in 2010, in partnership with UNESCO.

Identifying innovative ways to get poorer nations

connected to high-speed networks will be one focus

of ITU’s forthcoming Global Broadband Summit, which

will take place in Geneva, in conjunction with the ITU

Telecom 40th anniversary event on 24–27 October

2011.

ITU News 4 | 2011 May 201150

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