Page 9 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

From COVID-19 to CONNECT-2030: Celebrating the World

Telecommunication & Information Society Day with ICTs

for the Sustainable Development Goals

COVID-19 has challenged both the private Society. It is also time to proactively divide. Amidst the current Corona-virus
and the public sectors in multiple ways, participate in the "Connect 2030 Agenda crisis, the availability of ICT infrastructure
and various critical sectors of the economy for Global Telecommunication/ICT has proven its necessity beyond any
have come under unprecedented pressures Development" (PP-18 Resolution 200, Rev. doubt, with Telecom Operators taking
to perform. Amidst this unrelenting Dubai, 2018) now linked to the Strategic several measures at the network and
challenge, ICTs hold great hopes for driving Plan of the ITU for the period 2020-2023, customer-care levels, expanding not only
recovery and helping us move forward specifically focusing on how technological radio network capacities to accommodate
albeit with new approaches, which will advances in the coming decade will increasing data traffic, but also offering
also be essential for the fulfillment of the contribute to accelerate the achievement free-of-cost benefits to customers,
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). of the Sustainable Development Goals including free data bundles, providing
Every year since 1969, the world has been (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda for free access to educational platforms
celebrating the World Telecommunication Sustainable Development. The 2030 online, and effectively reducing financial
and Information Society Day. However, Agenda for Sustainable Development and pressures on households struggling to
the year 2020 represents a unique 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), cope with the current situation. Regulators
opportunity for the ITU membership, adopted by UNGA Resolution A/70/1, too have adapted to the necessities
including SAMENA Telecommunications collectively, recognize that the spread dictated by COVID-19 and have been
Council and its Members, to recognize and of information and communications quick in exercising their enabler's role by
commemorate the contributions of the technology and global interconnectedness allocating additional spectrum resources
private sector, digital networks and ICTs has tremendous potential to accelerate to Operators and incentivizing out-of-box
in the advancement of the Information human progress and to bridge the digital thinking. The prevailing COVID-19 crisis

Bocar BA
CEO - SAMENA Telecommunications Council
Commissioner - UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development
9 MAY 2020