Telecommunication has brought revolution and radical changes in the society and changed the life style of the people.
Today, many people could not imagine daily life without the use of increasingly sophisticated information and communication technologies (ICTs), from television and radio to the mobile telephone and the Internet.
Yet for millions of people in the world's poorest countries, there remains a "digital divide" excluding them from the benefits of ICTs.
The theme of this year's observance of World Telecommunication Day - ICTs: Leading the way to sustainable development - reminds us that ICTs serve as crucial tools for achieving economic progress.
Affordable technologies, in the hands of local communities, can be effective engines of change, both social and material. Access to information and technological know-how is essential if the world is to defeat hunger, protect the environment and create new opportunities.
ICTs can also be extremely effective in improving governance as it gives a voice to people who have been isolated, or have been invisible and silent, allowing them to speak out regardless of their gender and where they live.
For a substantial impact of ICT on development, it is equally important to foster a favourable political and institutional environment, create sustainable financial mechanisms, mobilise community support and build local capacity.
We should think beyond a quantitative and purely technology-driven approach and more towards people-centred and demand-driven solutions.
On World Telecommunication Day, let us resolve to do all we can to lead the way to a truly open, inclusive and prosperous telecommunications age.
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