ITU-EC project on ‘Promoting and measuring universal and meaningful digital connectivity’
The BDT Director and Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, European Commission, announced a new project from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Commission (EC) to promote Internet services and skills for everyone worldwide over the next three years.
The ITU-EC project, 'Promoting and measuring universal and meaningful digital connectivity', will leverage EUR 3 million (about USD 3.3 million) over three years to advance holistic policy approaches and provide recommendations on boosting good-quality Internet and mobile access.
“The potential of the Internet for social and economic good remains largely untapped today: one-third of humanity remains offline, and many users only enjoy basic connectivity," said Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. “This new ITU-EC project will mainstream universal and meaningful connectivity and encourage countries to adopt a holistic approach, which is a necessary condition for a prosperous and inclusive society."
The project aims to make universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) a top policy priority; generate more and better UMC data; and improve evidence-based policymaking, fund sourcing and project implementation.
