Page 9 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

SAMENA Council's CEO
reiterated that through
collaboration and by fos-
tering inclusion and partic-
ipation of everyone, we can
ensure that we will take into
account different needs and

issues into consideration in
a timely fashion--and we
should waste no time and
no effort should go in vain.
Championing Digital Eco-
in materializing its dreams, set forth as gaps and create a sense of relevance for
"Sustainable Development Goals", into those who are still not using the Internet. nomic Growth is boosted
implemented reality. Furthermore, the A global global campaign to explain and through businesses and
realization that a significant part of the realize new ICT funding avenues is needed investments.
ICT Industry's future-building endeavors as are multilateral approaches in ensuring
now demands Telecom Operators and
their leaderships to take on a frontal,
transformed role as the enablers of digital
economic development was reinforced. A
similar realization that the Private Sector
simply cannot fund everything and single-
handedly overcome the digital divides,
internet usage gaps, and the ICT funding
gaps, was also pressed upon. Overcoming
multi-dimensional gaps requires innovative
and better-incentivized approaches, which
the Public Sector needs to champion in
collaboration with the Private Sector. This
is especially needed in consideration of
the fact that, based on a recent UNCTAD
report, for the last almost 200 years, each
time there has been progress, the divide
between the haves and have-nots has
increased. In our lifetime, the Covid-19
pandemic has highlighted this context and
sufficient evidence proves that people with
access to the Internet are doing well, while
those who do not have access are left even
further behind.

To ignite future digital-led economic
growth that should be inclusive, the
Leaders' Summit 2021 highlighted the need
for ensuring internet access as a critical
means for making progress on the SDGs,
and to build on innovation, information,
and incentives as the fundamental pillars.
While new forms of partnerships can serve
as accelerants to address the connectivity
gaps, we also need to overcome the usage

9 APRIL-MAY 2021