Reliable, clear, timely information is essential for sustainable development.
Without access to information, government and industry alike would be hard-pressed to move forward on any of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda.
But while much has been said regarding the political aspects of freedom of information, far less attention is paid to the nuts and bolts of access; in other words, how information reaches people, in technical terms.
This technical perspective has come to the fore at the ongoing ITU Digital World 2021, where high-level speakers from government, industry and academia have come together online to discuss challenges and opportunities of what makes information accessible in the first place: network infrastructure.
Enhancing the potential of 5G
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile technologies promise to facilitate rapid, easy, intelligent information flow. But to achieve this, they will depend on a wide range of enabling technologies, from from artificial intelligence (AI) and Wi-Fi 6 to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and OpenRAN (Radio Access Networks).
Network innovations, meanwhile, are making Internet access more affordable around the world, notably by taking ultra-high-speed broadband to areas where fixed broadband is unavailable.
Check out the highlights from the ITU Digital World 2021 discussion 5G: Fuelling digital transformation today – or tomorrow?
Network of networks
Wireless networks can now provide high-quality content and services at ultra-fast speeds, with superior reliability and low latency – except in rural and remote areas, particularly in small island developing states and the world's least developed countries.
Boosting capacity hinges on improving backhaul capabilities, combined with the use of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. As technologies evolve and standardization in these areas becomes more robust, satellites will become easier to integrate seamlessly into a so-called "network of networks" that does away with legacy divisions between mobile, fixed and satellite infrastructure.
