Broadband Commission petitions UN Eminent Persons on MDGs

*Today begins 1000-day mark to 2015

 

The United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission for Digital Development has petitioned the Eminent Persons through of the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on the due date for delivery of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

A copy of the letter made available to ITRealms and sent to the Panel of Eminent Persons, the high-level body of leaders from the public and private sectors, tasked with brainstorming ideas for a Post-2015 development agenda, the Commission called on members to recognize the promise of broadband.

“We call on the members of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel to recognize the power and promise of broadband applications and services to expand people’s horizons and opportunities, enhance their freedom of expression and civic participation, better share their culture and hence foster understanding, enable people to engage freely in self-expression and the exchange of ideas, and sow the seeds of genuine learning, as well as quality education for all,” part of the letter read.

Also, it stated “That is why, in particular, any set of measurable goals and targets agreed upon as part of the Post-2015 development agenda should explicitly include broadband.”

In his video address to mark the 1000-day countdown to the MDGs, Mr. Ban noted the progress in what he termed “the most successful global anti-poverty push in history”. World poverty has halved, child mortality is dropping and more girls are now in school than ever before. But the challenges are on-going, and Mr. Ban called for 1000% effort in the final push towards 2015.

The Commission enjoined people to join the conversation at #MDGmomentum and help by Tweeting photos that illustrate the impact that broadband and ICTs have on the MDGs and for communities around the world.

Remmy Nweke 
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ISOC to host AfPIF 2013 @ Morocco

Plans have been advanced for the hosting of the fourth annual African Peering and Interconnection Forum in Casablanca, Morocco in September.

ISOC announced to ITRealms that the forum would focus on Policy Aspects of Internet eXchange Points (IXPs), content, and cross-border Interconnections in Africa.
 

AfPIF 2013 will attract high patronage by the Minister of Industry, Trade, and New Technologies across the continent.
 

The three-dayforum billed for September 3 through 5, 2013 in Casablanca, Morocco is a unique regional forum, which facilitates discussions on African Internet infrastructure challenges, including terrestrial capacity issues, national and regional Internet Exchange Point (IXP) development, local content development, measures to lower connectivity costs, and international peering.
 

It also serves to gather key stakeholders, including Internet service and content providers, IXP operators, research and education networks, government network managers, regulators and policymakers to share experiences and advance peering and interconnection arrangements.

The theme of AfPIF 2013 is “Policy Implementation and the Regional Content Factor,” and the forum will address region-to-region policy, tapping into terrestrial cable potential and traffic management needs, as well as content issues that are critical components of transit deficits.
 

Dawit Bekele, the Internet Society Regional Bureau Director for Africa, says that nearly all peering and interconnection agreements are forged at regional and global peering forums such as AfPIF.

“We are pleased to offer this important event for the fourth consecutive year and provide an opportunity for the business and operational community to work together to augment Internet infrastructure and services in Africa,” he said, stressing that it offers the ideal venue for discussions and ideas on how to implement more efficient and cost effective local, regional, and international interconnection and peering strategies.

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Technology, biggest driver of change for African continent – Etisalat boss

Steven Evans, Etisalat CEO                       courtesy: Tonero photos

Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steve Evans, has described technology as the biggest driver of change for developing nations of the world, most in Africa.

Evans gave this description at the just-concluded Economist Conference sponsored by the network operator and held at the Expo Centre of Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, through a representative by the Director, Network Engineering, Mr. Temi Ogunbambi, on “Leveraging Technology to enable inclusive, private-sector led growth.”

Mr. Evans said that technology has been instrumental in Africa’s transformation over the past decade and could not be over-emphasised at this stage of development for the continent and developing world at large.

Most developing nations around the world, he said, have come to realize this fact, hence investment is encouraged in this sector.

He highlighted some of the obstacles to the growth of the telecoms sector, which include that tough regulatory and policy situations were faced on both federal and state levels, especially when applying for right of way or bringing in infrastructure.

“There needs to be some form of national integration. Etisalat Nigeria invests a significant sum in base stations. There needs to be public education and inclusion, to develop a sense of purpose and ownership so that subscribers become aware that if base stations are destroyed, the community will be deprived. Until the environment and policies are friendly, we cannot fully unleash the potential of investments,” he said.

ITRealms recalls that earlier, President Goodluck Jonathan in his keynote address tagged ‘Nigeria Summit 2013: Enabling and Implementing Change,’ said Africa is one of the world’s most rapidly growing economies.

He outlined an outlook for Nigeria in the next decade, saying that government’s commitment was to ensure a clean electoral process, economic inclusion, industrialize the country, especially through the oil and agricultural sectors for the purpose of job and wealth creation.

Remmy Nweke 
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