The Secretary-General, UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, on Tuesday, said the mobile phone industry had pledged over 9 billion dollars toward the goal of connecting the world.

Bogdan-Martin said this at the ongoing four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The fresh commitments aim to make strides across the world. That includes accessible and affordable network connectivity and digital services across countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

“Universal meaningful connectivity is within our grasp.

“Thanks to these new commitments, millions of people will benefit from accessible and affordable connectivity across the world,” she said in a statement.

According to her, fresh investments from  China Telecom, Ooredoo and VEON build on strong industry support for the UN digital agency’s efforts to “connect the world.”

Around 2.6 billion people remain offline worldwide, according to data from the specialised UN agency, which drives innovation in communications technology.

As telecommunications infrastructure forms the backbone of connectivity and digital transformation, it is vital for closing the global digital divide and overcoming development impediments.

To achieve that, ITU has called for 100 billion dollars in overall investments by 2026 to provide the expertise and resources required to extend universal, meaningful connectivity and sustainable digital transformation to every corner of the globe.

ITU also launched Partner2Connenct in 2021 to reach this goal. Today, more than 400 organisations have committed to investing over 46 billion dollars in the coming years to realise this shared vision.

It also includes providing information and communication services to over 80 million people in remote villages across China and building infrastructure in Ukraine by providing connectivity and digital services essential to the country’s reconstruction.

The UN digital agency also announced that it now had over 1,000 industry, academia and organisational members in addition to 193 Member States, a milestone in its 159-year-old history.

“This multistakeholder model of collaboration will continue to be a strong force in the UN system to bridge the digital divide and build an inclusive, safe and sustainable digital future for all,” said the ITU chief. (NAN)