PM calls for global framework for digital tech at India Mobile Congress | News
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during inauguration of the 8th ITU’s telecom standard meet (Photo: PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the establishment of a global framework for digital technology. Speaking at the inauguration of the 8th India Mobile Congress (IMC), Modi urged global institutions to recognise its significance for global governance.
He emphasised that this topic was raised by India during its G-20 Presidency. Stressing the need to create a global set of “Do’s and Don’ts” for technology, the Prime Minister highlighted the borderless nature of digital tools and applications, and called for international collaboration in combating cyber threats, alongside collective action by global institutions.
Modi drew parallels with the aviation sector, which already has well-established frameworks, and called upon the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA 2024), being held alongside the IMC, to play a proactive role in creating a secure digital ecosystem and safe channel for telecommunication. “In an interconnected world, security cannot be an afterthought. India’s Data Protection Act and National Cyber Security Strategy reflect our commitment to building a safe digital environment,” he said. The Prime Minister urged the members of the assembly to create standards that are inclusive, secure, and adaptable to future challenges, including ethical AI and data privacy standards that respect the diversity of nations.
“India’s mobile and telecom journey in the 21st century is a subject of study for the whole world,” Modi said. He added that while mobile and telecom were seen as facilitators globally, in India, telecom is not just a medium of connectivity but a medium of equity and opportunity.
India has a mobile phone user base of 1.2 billion, 950 million internet users, and accounts for more than 40 per cent of the world’s digital transactions in real time.
Billed by the government as India’s premier technology event, IMC is being held this year alongside two key global telecom meetings in Delhi. India will be hosting the WTSA from October 15-24, 2024, preceded by the Global Standards Symposium (GSS 2024). The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, of which India is a part, conducts the WTSA every four years to plan its standardisation programme.
The Prime Minister underlined that WTSA empowers the world via consensus, while India Mobile Congress strengthens the world through connectivity. Therefore, Modi said, consensus and connectivity are conjoined in this event. He stressed the importance of this combination in today’s conflict-ridden world.
The government believes India’s participation in these meetings is crucial for shaping global agendas in emerging technologies such as AI, 6G, the Internet of Things, satellite communications, and quantum computing.
Major leaps made
“In just 10 years, India has laid optical fibre eight times the distance between the Earth and the Moon,” Modi said.
He added that the cost of internet data in India is now as low as 12 cents per GB, compared to many countries where one GB of data is 10 to 20 times more expensive. “Today, every Indian consumes about 30 GB of data on average every month,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister highlighted that telecom is helping to bridge the gap between villages and cities, and between the rich and the poor. He listed the four pillars of Digital India: low-cost devices, extensive digital connectivity reaching every corner of the country, easily accessible data, and the goal of “Digital First”, which were worked on simultaneously to achieve significant results.
First Published: Oct 15 2024 | 1:51 PM IST
