This week the World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) began with a remarkable and important declaration from the Secretary General, Dr. Hamadoun Touré:
And WCIT is not about Internet governance. WCIT is about making sure that we connect the billion people without access to mobile telephony, and that we connect the 4.5 billion people who are still off line.
Let’s first take a moment to celebrate the fact that 2.5 billion people have access to the Internet, and that the rate of Internet penetration has grown at a rate of 14% over the last few years to 35%, according to the ITU’s own numbers. That’s great news, and it leads to a question: how shall WCIT focus on improving on that number? How have the International Telecommunication Regulations that have served 2.5 billion people not served the other 4.5 billion?
Unfortunately, none of the proposals that have been made available actually focus on this very problem. Instead, at least one prominent proposal from Russia focuses on… Internet governance. Let’s wish the Secretary General great success in persuading Russia and other governments that indeed that is not what this conference is about.