ITU, the
UN Agency for Digital Technologies, has announced USD 4.8 billion dollars in
investment commitments toward global connectivity. The announcement brings the
total pledges aimed at closing the digital divide through ITU's Partner2Connect
Digital Coalition (P2C) to USD 50.96 billion, over half the USD 100 billion
goal set for 2026.
The pledges to Partner2Connect, ITU's platform to
advance universal meaningful connectivity, were announced during the opening
day of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level
Event in Geneva, Switzerland.
Among the new commitments announced at the WSIS
Forum event are pledges that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance
digital access, adoption and inclusion.
"Closing the digital divide requires a team
effort, and today we scored a huge win for global connectivity," said ITU
Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “I am thrilled to see these amazing new
commitments and that we have united P2C and WSIS to break through the halfway
point in our goal to help bring the benefits of digital connectivity to
everyone, everywhere."
