Recognizing WSIS Impacts

WTDC RESOLUTION 72 (Hyderabad, 2010)

More effective utilization of mobile communication services

The World Telecommunication Development Conference (Hyderabad, 2010),

• recalling
  • Resolutions 15 (Rev. Doha, 2006) and 50 (Doha, 2006) of the World Telecommunication Development Conference,
• recalling also
  • Resolution 135 (Antalya, 2006) of the Plenipotentiary Conference and the importance of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) for economic and social progress,
• considering
  • a) the role of ITU, and the role of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITUD) in particular, in the development of telecommunication/ICT facilities and services;
  • b) the need to facilitate the development and more effective utilization of mobile communications for performing many practical tasks, including with a view to ensuring more equal access to telecommunication/ICT services for everyone;
  • c) the positive experience in the use of mobile for bridging the existing digital divide;
  • d) that new mobile technologies may help to bridge the digital divide, not only between developing countires1 and developed countries but also between urban, remote and rural regions where coverage by conventional telecommunication services remains inadequate;
  • e) that mobile is an effective, and in many cases the most effective means of performing many practical tasks for the population;
  • f) that performing such practical tasks with the aid of mobile communications and broadband technologies, as well as multimedia applications, opens up new prospects and will help in bridging the digital divide and in affording developing countries access to new technologies,
• taking into account
  • a) that unequal access to telecommunication/ICT services does nothing to eradicate social inequality and has an adverse impact on the social and economic situation in different countries and regions;
  • b) that many countries are interested in introducing mobile services for such areas of activity as mobile e-health, mobile e-government, mobile money transfer and transactions, mobile payment and near-field communications (NFC) technologies, mobile banking and mobile marketing;
  • c) experience with, and the successful implementation of, mobile services in a number of ITU Member States,
• recognizing
  • a) the important role of ITU-D in coordinating the rational use of resources in the context of various projects aimed at securing more widespread deployment of mobile telecommunication/ICT services in different countries of the world;
  • b) that mobile communications is a factor in eliminating the isolation of certain categories of the population who live in parts of the country where coverage by conventional telecommunication media remains inadequate and who lack resources,
• resolves
  • 1 that the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) should support the implementation of regional and national projects for the use of mobile telecommunication systems to provide the population with services such as information, mobile egovernment, mobile ehealth, mobile money transfer and transactions, mobile payment, mobile banking, mobile marketing, etc., on the basis of cooperation with interested ITU Member States and with the private sector;
  • 2 that BDT should play a key role in the implementation of this initiative and should use available resources at its disposal to fulfil this task, including association with ITU connectivity initiatives as appropriate;
  • 3 that BDT, taking into account available experience and the strategy for bridging the digital divide and building the global information society by 2015, should formulate and implement a programme to develop specific proposals and recommendations on the use of mobile telecommunication services at regional and national level,
• instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
  • to seek partnerships and cooperation with parties directly involved in the provision of services to the population using mobile telecommunication facilities and networks.