ITU Commits $50.96bn to Enhance Global Connectivity, Bridge Digital Divide

Emma Okonji

International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations Agency for promoting global digital technologies, through its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition (P2C) has pledged another $4.8 billion dollars in investment commitments toward global connectivity.

The amount, which was pledged recently, brings the total pledges by ITU to $50.96 billion, aimed at closing the digital divide, which has now crossed half of the $100 billion goal set for 2026.

The pledges to Partner2Connect, ITU’s platform to advance universal meaningful connectivity, were announced during the opening day of the ongoing World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event in Geneva, Switzerland.

Among the new commitments announced at the WSIS Forum event, were pledges that leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance digital access, adoption and inclusion.
Speaking at the forum, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “Closing the digital divide requires a team effort, and today we scored a huge win for global connectivity. I am thrilled to see these amazing new commitments and that we have united P2C and WSIS to break through the halfway point in our goal to help bring the benefits of digital connectivity to everyone, everywhere.”

Other new commitments announced​ at the opening day of the forum, include: AT&T’s move to help 25 million people in the hardest-to-connect areas in the United States to get and stay connected by 2030 through a commitment of $3 billion. This brings to $5 billion the total committed by AT&T since 2021 to narrow the digital divide. The additional $3 billion commitment will address the main barriers to connectivity, affordability and adoption for those who need it most.
Government of Canada announced an investment in computing infrastructure to support AI businesses and researchers in Canada through the CAD 2 billion ($1.46 billion) AI Compute Access Fund. Also, an additional commitment to invest CAD 400 million ($292 million) in the adoption of AI across Canada’s economy; help small and medium size enterprises introduce AI into their businesses; protect workers with skills development; and to create a new Canadian AI Safe Institute to help Canada better understand and protect against the risks of advanced AI systems.
Microsoft also announced a new pledge to support projects and prioritise partnerships to rapidly accelerate how people with disabilities are included in and represented by the systems, designs and features of technology, including AI. This raises to five the total number of P2C commitments from Microsoft.
“Because of the leadership, vision and ambition of P2C’s pledgers, millions of people will be given the opportunity to have more accessible, more affordable digital technologies for socio-economic growth, improved health and everything that makes connectivity meaningful,” Bogdan-Martin said, adding: “It’s extremely exciting to see new pledges begin to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence to transform the inclusive digital societies we all aspire to build.”

The WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event is meeting from 27 to 31 May to address challenges and log achievements in the two decades since the multi-stakeholder WSIS process was established.