What is SDG 9, and how are we doing?

Universal access to information and connectivity

On the 25th September I am honoured to be a speaker at the Global Sustainable Development Summit. I have been asked to focus on SDG 9, under the topic headline of “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.

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Within this global goal there is somewhat of an oddity hidden in the sub targets. Unlike most of the global goals, this particular SDG has a target set for 2020, instead of 2030. Target 9.C aims to “Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”.

So, naturally, with my background in telecoms and connectivity, along with my work on this website and my interest in innovation I thought I should dig into this in detail. The title of my talk will be – SDG 9, 2020 and Universal Access to ICT. So what now? and you can request a copy of my slides for free, below.

Request a copy of my slides below?

During my talk I plan to highlight the role connectivity (including 5G) and education will play in our societies. I will look at examples of societally impactful technologies that rely on connectivity and pull out some data points to illustrate both the progress we have made and the work that still needs to be done. I’ll also be explaining my opinions on how, whilst we are striving to close the Digital Divide we might indeed actually be creating a new paradigm – the Digital Ravine.

Lastly, I plan to look forward at some of the connectivity technology developments we might see in the coming years, and how they might impact our societies.

If you would like a copy of my presentation, I would be happy to send this to you after the event. Please use the form below to let me know your interest.

If you want to find out more about this global event, I encourage you to visit this website, where you can also sign up for free.

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