ITU Telecom World 2011 Sets New Paradigm for Top-Level Networking, Knowledge-Sharing - High-Level Dialogue on Broadband Culminates in ‘Manifesto for Change’

GENEVA, October 28, 2011 -

The 40th anniversary edition of ITU Telecom World closed its doors today after three intensive days of high-level networking, knowledge exchange and deal-making.

Over 330 world leaders, including Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers, national ambassadors, heads of regulatory agencies, and CEOs from around the world, came together for the event, which saw debate and interaction on a broad-reaching global agenda spanning everything from broadband to connecting cities, harnessing innovation and next-generation wireless advances, and featured live participation from around the world.

The event was preceded by an invitation-only Broadband Leadership Summit which sought to tackle the many complex issues raised by broadband deployment, from the challenges of infrastructure financing in poorer nations and isolated regions to cybersecurity, data privacy and intellectual property rights.

Manifesto for Change

The culmination of the event was a global Manifesto for Change that recognizes the importance of broadband for socio-economic development. Compiled with the help of event partner Ernst & Young, the Manifesto draws on input from delegates and online participants, capturing multi-channel knowledge flows from around the world. ITU will now be encouraging world leaders to commit themselves to put in place the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks to help the private sector implement this change.

“Any good development programme starts with a dream from a leader,” said ITU’s Dr Toure. Once that dream is shared with the people it becomes a vision. You then need people who believe in that vision and can implement it. We have dreamed this dream together and it has now become a vision - and now we need to take the necessary steps so that we move together… we are entering the Knowledge Society, where every citizen not only has access to information but can use information, create information and share information. In this new world, no person on the planet should miss out on opportunities through lack of information.”

Next stop Dubai!

The next ITU Telecom World event will be held in Dubai, UAE, in Q4 of 2012.

Key event statistics

Over 6,500 top-level participants onsite including Heads of State and Government, Ministers, city mayors, industry CEOs and technology gurus, along with hundreds of thousands of participants from around the world interacting in real-time via webcasts and twitter streams

• 332 global leaders participating in the Broadband Leadership Summit
• 34 of the world’s major ICT names participating in the event as key partners
• 251 influential speakers from 64 countries took part in the multi-streamed conference agenda
• 237 companies from 41 countries on the show floor
• 324 accredited media from around the world, including major global broadcasters, news agencies, national newspapers and ICT press
• 10,000 students from schools across the globe, who shared their work with 150,000 of their classmates across five continents.

Archived webcasts of selected ITU Telecom World 2011 sessions are available at: world2011.itu.int.

Photos, videos, blogs and Daily Highlights of the event are available at: world2011.itu.int/newsroom.

ITU Telecom World 2011 event activities can be found on Facebook at www.itu.int/facebook and through the @ITU_News twitter account #ITUworld11.

For full text see:

www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2011/47.aspx

About ITU

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology. For over 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to new-generation wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology and converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.

Sarah Parkes, Chief, Media Relations & Public Information, pressinfo at itu.int, +41-22-730-6039; or Sally Moore , itu at axicom.com, +44-20-8392-4087 or AxiCom offices worldwide: www.axicom.com