New ITU Guidelines to Establish Robust Digital Infrastructure
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General. Photo: ITU
New ITU Guidelines to Establish Robust Digital Infrastructure
The 2023 Guidelines address and identify incentives that can be used to expand connectivity, and support access, adoption, and use.
Regulatory leaders from around the world agreed on a new set of guidelines to secure an inclusive and sustainable digital future for all.
The Best Practice Guidelines adopted at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-23) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, define regulatory and economic incentives to stimulate the deployment of digital infrastructure for all people everywhere.
GSR-23 was hosted by the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of Egypt, under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of The Arab Republic of Egypt.
“Tech is moving fast and won’t wait for us to catch up,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “The engagement and agreement on regulatory guidelines seen in the Global Symposium for Regulators platform show the way forward, ensuring technology can benefit all people and our planet.”
In order to advance universal and meaningful connectivity, the guidelines focus on regulatory approaches for rural, unserved and underserved areas as well as emerging technologies.
“The ICT sector has come to the forefront of the sectors that drive the sustainable development movement,” said H.E. Dr Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Egypt. “The importance of the Global Symposium for Regulators, which Egypt was honored to host this year, comes as a platform for the exchange of expertise and experiences between decision-makers, telecommunications regulators, academic specialists, and industry pioneers in developing and developed countries alike.”
Since 2003, the GSR Best Practice Guidelines have captured established regulatory principles for a competitive, safe and inclusive enabling environment.
According to an ITU statement released on June 8, the 2023 Guidelines address and identify incentives that can be used to expand connectivity, and support access, adoption, and use.
They also identify novel, innovative, ground-breaking, evidence-based cross-sector digital policy and regulatory principles to support a sustainable digital future for all people everywhere.
