GSMA, ITU, WEF lay down new accelerated action plan to COVID-19 crisis response

During a high-level dialogue, Finance and ICT ministers, ICT regulators, CEOs of telecom and technology companies from around the world discussed an accelerated action plan to better leverage digital technologies and infrastructure in support of citizens, governments and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hosted by the World Bank, in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), GSMA – the global mobile industry association— and the World Economic Forum (WEF), this virtual roundtable gave participants the opportunity to agree on a set of high impact and immediate measures to help countries remain connected.

Participants agreed that now is the time for an accelerated private-public sector collaboration to jointly respond to the crisis to ensure networks are well-equipped to handle an exponential increase in digital traffic, help countries future-proof their digital capabilities and infrastructure for subsequent crises, and ensure access to digital services for the most vulnerable populations.

This action plan discussed during the high-level event outlines areas for action to maintain connectivity during the COVID-19 crisis:

1. Promote network resilience
2. Ensure access and affordability of digital services
3. Support compliance with social distancing principles while providing vital connectivity
4. Leverage e-health, telemedicine and Big Data to address the health crisis
5. Ensure institutional frameworks are fit for purpose

Following the high-level dialogue that took place on May 21st, the final Joint Action Plan will be published by the four organizations, with the aim to serve as best practice for governments and regulators during the Covid-19 crisis.

Quotes from host organizations:

“Governments, regulators, and the telecom industry must do all it takes to deploy affordable, reliable, and safe digital technologies. As soon as the crisis hit, we have been working hand in hand with, the ITU, GSMA, and the WEF on a joint action plan to help governments cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and increase connectivity access. We are committed to work together to achieve the promise of new technologies for all and keep the world connected,” said Makhtar Diop, the World Bank’s Vice President for Infrastructure.

“It is a credit to the world’s ICT community that the huge surge in traffic caused by COVID-19 has not crippled our connectivity. But let us also remember that the power to stay connected remains a huge privilege. ITU figures reveal that 3.6 billion people remain totally cut-off from the internet. Billions more struggle with connectivity that is woefully insufficient. COVID-19 has thrown into sharp relief the connectivity chasm we call the digital divide. And it has refocused our minds on why bridging this chasm and bringing affordable access to all is so crucially important to ensuring no-one is left behind,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.

“Thanks to large and ongoing investments from operators, networks are proving well equipped to handle the unprecedented surge in traffic as more people rely on digital services to work from home, manage their businesses, and communicate remotely with friends and family. Response to COVID-19 has demonstrated the strategic importance of robust, resilient, and secure digital infrastructure to the social welfare of everyone in society and the continued functioning of the economy. We urge governments and regulators to work together with the industry to ensure they can meet the demands on networks, while at the same time supporting affordability and access to the full range of services by consumers and businesses”, said Mats Granryd, Director General GSMA.

“From getting the latest information to supporting health services or adapting supply chains across the globe, we have never been so acutely aware of how critically we depend on digital connectivity. As the international organization for public-private partnership, we look forward to continuing to work with the World Bank, ITU, GSMA and all our partners to ensure that we not only act urgently to keep our global connective lifeblood of information flowing to tackle our current crisis but that we sustain that urgency to extend internet access to all,” said Derek O’Halloran, Head of the Future of Digital Economy at the World Economic Forum.