Harnessing the potential of communications

Here he discusses social and economic development in these markets and how providers like Nokia Siemens Networks can help the CTO achieve its vision of mobile communications for all.

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah: The CTO is the only international organization that brings together stakeholders, policy-makers, regulators, business people and civil society. Any organization focused on the development of the worldwide information society can become a member.

The CTO facilitates the exchange of information and ideas and, as a result, the development of ICTs. Its services include research and knowledge building; training and capacity building; consulting and advice; and ICT-focused commercial events.

What is the CTO’s vision?

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah: The CTO aims to become the pre-eminent international ICT organization dedicated to promoting social and economic development in the Commonwealth and beyond by helping to bridge the digital divide.

How does the CTO see mobile and broadband technology helping reduce that digital divide?

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah: A growing body of evidence shows that the exponential growth of mobile telephony helps facilitate good governance, business and socioeconomic development. Africa, for example, has seen huge mobile telephony growth at the same time as an increase in overall economic growth, now at 5 percent annually.

Broadband could provide similar or greater benefits than mobile telephony, but the high cost of the services in new growth markets is still a problem. With further added-value mobile services such as 3G, the CTO expects mobile phones to progress from being the lead option for connectivity to forming a viable platform for broadband provision. Reducing costs to the consumer and increasing reach are fundamental to making mobile broadband a feasible option for bridging the digital divide.

What role does the CTO see for telecommunications in the future?

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah: One role is to offer the highest quality programs for capacity development, knowledge sharing and information services to member countries.

We also need to deepen, expand and diversify the partnerships between governments, businesses and other organizations to reduce global poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals for ICT.

Telecommunications can also help bridge the digital and knowledge divide, especially in the five key sectors of food & agriculture (e-nutrition), education (distance learning), health (telemedicine), e-government and e-commerce.

What are your thoughts on Nokia Siemens Networks’ vision for 5bn connected people by 2015?

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah: This is a laudable objective. We see the 4P's (Public, private, peoples' partnerships) as being critical if this aim is to succeed.

There will also need to be a reduction in TCO (total cost of ownership), especially if, on the service side, more IP based networks can be linked with mobile networks to reduce the cost of service.

The issue of content will be another factor as the majority of the 2bn extra people will be rural communities. This is one of the reasons the CTO is currently concentrating so much on the issue of connecting rural communities. It is worth pointing up the fact that rural communities tend to have very different needs - social, linguistic, anthropological, literary etc. The 3Es are therefore also very important to focus on - Education, Employment and Empowerment. 

Stakeholders will need to commit to mobilizing resources in these areas if this is to succeed.