WORLD TELECOM DAY

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Context:  The Union Minister of State for Communications launched the World Telecom Day Conference on May 17, 2023, to commemorate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

Details

• World Telecom Day, also known as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, is an annual event that celebrates the achievements and potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development.
• The theme for World Telecom Day 2023 is "Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies".
• The event aims to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities that ICTs pose for the least developed countries (LDCs), which are home to more than one billion people.
• ICTs have transformed our lives in many ways, from connecting us with our loved ones across distances to enabling us to access information and services at our fingertips, to empowering us to create and share our content and opinions.

Challenges and opportunities

• Not everyone enjoys the benefits of ICTs equally.
• According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency responsible for ICT matters, there are still 47 least-developed countries (LDCs) in the world that face significant challenges in terms of connectivity, affordability, digital skills and innovation.
  • These countries account for 13% of the world's population, but only 1% of the world's fixed broadband subscriptions and 2% of the world's mobile broadband subscriptions.
• By empowering LDCs through ICTs, they can overcome their vulnerabilities and achieve their full potential. ICTs can enable LDCs to improve their health, education, agriculture, trade, governance and social inclusion.
• ICTs can also foster innovation and entrepreneurship in LDCs, creating new opportunities and jobs for their young and dynamic populations.

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Telecom Sector: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/telecom-sector

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1924962