The UAE, represented by the General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector (TRA), participated in the 2030 targets of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, held in New York, USA as part of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, where high-level commissioners from various governmental and industrial sectors came up with solutions to accelerate the pace of digital transformation in LDCs, and showcased a number of innovative of digital transformation and their social and economic impact across the world.
During the Commission meeting, the UAE submitted a joint proposal in cooperation with Saudi Arabia to establish a working group entitled “Towards useful communication”, focusing on several elements in terms of connecting countries to the Internet.
Commenting on this participation, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, TRA Director General, Broadband Commission Member, said: “The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development Goals aims to underline the importance of broadband in the international policy agenda, broaden access to broadband by all countries as a key to accelerating progress towards national and international development goals, and identify practical ways that can help countries achieve their development goals in cooperation with the private sector.”
Al Mansouri stressed that the participation of the UAE as a Commission member reflects the vital role played by the country in international forums and its concerted efforts in supporting all decisions and proposals that promote digital transformation at the regional and global levels. He added: “All sustainable development processes that countries are currently pursuing depend on the extent of their broadband use, as it is the real foundation of the ICT sector. We in the UAE strongly believe that broadband is the foundation for the future, and therefore we are adopting plans and strategies that aim to promote broadband penetration. We are keen to support all decisions that would enhance broadband in the Arab region in particular and the world in general, leading to the achievement of sustainable development goals and increasing welfare and happiness of human societies.”
His Excellency pointed out that the UAE has become an exemplary global model for broadband deployment, adding: “The UAE has ranked first globally in mobile broadband subscriptions, and this achievement is the result of plans and strategies developed by the UAE government under the guidance of its wise leadership and the team spirit of government entities. We at the TRA are eager to spread the leading Emirati experience to the benefit of all.”
The Broadband Commission engages in high-level advocacy to promote broadband in developing countries and underserved communities. One of the central roles of the Commission is to advocate for higher priority to be given to the development of broadband infrastructure and services, to ensure that the benefits of this technology is realized in all countries. Governments and industry need to work together, hand-in-hand, to devise strategies for driving the roll-out of these networks much more proactively.
In 2018, given the shift towards new UN development Agenda 2030 and new challenges of a digital world, the Commission re-evaluated and launched new framework of Targets 2025 in support of "Connecting the Other Half" of the world's population. These targets seek to expand broadband infrastructure, and Internet access and use by populations around the world, in support of achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.
Source: TRA UAE