7 March 2006

A conference is being held to ensure all schools, libraries and local governments from around the world can access ICT technologies within the next decade.

The international world telecommunication development conference is being held in Doha in Qatar tomorrow, where experts will discuss how to connect communities by 2015.

The meeting will build on and implement the commitments made at Tunis last November at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

One of the overarching aims of the conference is to ensure low-cost rural telecommunications are put in place to make broadband and wireless telephony more accessible and affordable to the remotest parts of the world.

"In order to reach the WSIS goal of connecting all communities, we have to tailor the potential of technology to the needs of humanity, especially remote communities and vulnerable sections of the population," explained Roberto Blois, the deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union at a press conference.

He added that this year's conference would also aim to develop two key ICT initiatives, one being to make technology more accessible to those with disabilities and the other to improve communications used in emergencies and in disaster prevention.

© Adfero Ltd

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