ITU Secretary-General to deliver keynote on next generation broadband at CommunicAsia2011

SINGAPORE: Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is the latest high-profile luminary to confirm their attendance at Asia’s flagship information and communication technology (ICT) event – CommunicAsia2011.

Dr. Touré will deliver a keynote address on 22 June at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. In his track titled, ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure,’ he will urge the industry to harness the unique power of broadband access to the Internet in order to unleash the full potential of individuals and communities everywhere.

He will also articulate ITU’s perspective of how broadband access to the Internet holds the promise of breaking infrastructure bottlenecks globally and short-circuiting the traditional development cycle. Success, however, is dependent on global collaboration in establishing broadband networks, and Dr. Touré’s will elaborate on how public and private sector organisations can work together to achieve this goal.

“Broadband is the next big challenge,” said Dr. Touré. “As high-speed networks become the rule in advanced markets, those without broadband will quickly find themselves as marginalised as those who lacked basic phone service 20 years ago. We need to find partnership models that will help us repeat the ‘mobile miracle’ so that access to broadband is simple, equitable, and affordable for all.”

As the leading United Nations agency for ICT issues, ITU is the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. Dr. Toure’s keynote will come as the countdown to 2015 approaches – a deadline set by world leaders at the United Nations’ Millennium Summit in 2000 for broadband to be one of the critical Millennium Development Goals in ending poverty around the globe.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dr. Touré with us at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. His presence is not only a testament to the continued relevance of our conference to the industry, but also shows support for Asia’s efforts to contribute towards the realisation of the United Nations’ goal,” said Ms. Lindy Wee, director of PR and Conferences from show organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES).

Other topics that will be discussed as part of the ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure’ track include ‘Broadband in Asia’, ‘Broadband Challenges and Trends’, and ‘Broadband Access Technology Options’. Notable speakers also include Robin Mersh, CEO of Broadband Forum; Jonathan Dharmapalan, Global Telecommunications Leader of Ernst & Young; Rohan Samarajiva, CEO of LIRNEasia; and Bill Barney, CEO of Pacnet, among others.