More than 1,600 delegates are in Dubai to discuss the future of broadband connectivity as part of the sixth International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication Development Conference, which is held every four years.
Under the theme of Broadband for Sustainable Development, the two-week conference, which begins today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will focus on the development priorities and strategies for growth in telecoms, information and communication (ICT) technologies.
The outcome of the conference will set the agenda for the telecoms and ICT development of the ITU for the next four years.
Access to broadband could be a catalyst to lift developing countries out of poverty by providing access to health care, education and basic social services to all communities, according to the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development.
Delegations are in town to discuss 74 proposals that have been put forward by member states.
“It will be a very congested agenda which will address many resolutions and issues. Around 74 resolutions will by addressed, mainly on the development of the sector,” said Naser bin Hammad, senior manager of international affairs at the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).
The Arab delegation, headed by the UAE has put forward 20 proposals. While some are highly technical, others are less so. One put forward is on smart and electronic learning and education.
If the proposed resolution is passed, then the ITU will assign a budget to the smart-learning programme and provide support and campaigns to help run it.
The last ITU conference, the World Conference on International Telecoms (WCIT) in Dubai, was shrouded in controversy as a proposal from a delegation of European telecoms operators suggested taxing internet companies for using their mobile networks, while some other proposals were thought to limit freedom of speech.
“The issues that were discussed at 2012 WCIT, these issues will not be addressed at this conference. This is a peaceful conference, we are just tackling the resolutions which are mandated by the sector itself,” said Mr bin Hammad.
While it may be peaceful, its outcomes are resounding and will affect billions of people who are still not connected to the internet, something that has bypassed many organisations according to analysts.
“It is still puzzling to see that the many UN bodies and NGOs are not well informed about the inclusions of ICTs in order to achieve the outcomes they are working so hard for,” said Paul Budde, founder of BuddeComs research firm. “Unless far more emphasis is given to the critical role ICTs can play, they will not be able to achieve the outcomes that they are aiming for. ICT and broadband as the key utility will need to be far more prominently included in the UN policies and strategies.”
thamid@thenational.ae
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
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Founded: 2011
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Funding: Self-funded to date
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Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
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Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs