Huawei and ITU to connect 120 million people to a digital world

Huawei has reached an agreement with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to bring connectivity to 120 million people in remote areas. After joining the “Partner2Connect”, ITU’s digital alliance, Huawei seeks to promote communication in over 80 countries by 2025.

Liang Hua, Chairman of Huawei, announced the decision at the company’s 2022 Sustainability Forum, Connectivity+: Innovate for Impact. The forum discussed how ICT innovation could inspire the business and social value of connectivity and help drive sustainability in the digital economy.

The event had senior leaders from the ITU and United Nations, telecom ministers and regulators in Cambodia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and business leaders, partners, experts, and customers from China, South Africa, Belgium, and Germany.

“It is clear connectivity alone is not enough. It must be affordable, the content must be relevant and in the local language, and users must have the skills to make the best use of it,” said ITU Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson. “Thank you to Huawei for their support of the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition, and for their announced P2C pledges in the key areas of rural connectivity and digital skills.”

Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, asked for “multi-stakeholder partnerships” of policymakers. Additionally, he urged the private sector, civil society, and academia to close “the sobering reality” of the digital divide which deprived a third of the global population.

“Our dynamic world urgently needs improved digital cooperation to capitalize on the transformational potential of technology to create new jobs, boost financial inclusion, close the gender gap, spur a green recovery and redesign our world to be more prosperous and inclusive,” he said. “Now is the time to act”.

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Access to a stable network is a basic requirement

Dr. Liang stressed that access to a stable network was a basic requirement and right in the digital age. For many who remain unconnected, access to reliable connectivity would mark the first step towards transforming their lives.

“Connectivity will be more than just a tool for convenient communications,” he said. “Together with digital technologies like cloud and AI, connectivity will help bring everyone into the digital world, and provide them with access to more information and skills, better services, and wider business opportunities. This will, in turn, drive further social and economic development.”

Cao Ming, President of Huawei Wireless Solution, also chimed in. He shared, “As an enterprise with the most complete ICT capabilities, Huawei integrates the full-technology innovation potential of the equipment, sites, energy, transmission, and antennas to address the difficulties faced by traditional site deployments, such as high costs, restricted transportation, lack of power, and maintenance challenges. We have continuously upgraded the RuralStar and RuralLink solutions to extend quality coverage to remote areas, enabling more people, community hospitals, schools, local governments, and small- and medium-sized enterprises to enjoy the same high-speed broadband connectivity experiences as those in cities”.

The RuralStar series solutions have provided connections for over 60 million people in remote areas in over 70 countries.

AirPON, a Huawei solution for a feasible fiber optic connection

Optical broadband networks offer an important route to universal service. Thus, Huawei has proposed an innovative AirPON solution that is designed for low-density areas including remote areas. The AirPON solution reduces the footprint of equipment rooms, optical fiber installation costs, and network power usage. It also ensures the rapid setup of local communication networks.

In Africa, Huawei has laid more than 250,000 kilometers of optical fibers, which brings connectivity to 30 million households. This has resulted in a constant improvement in broadband user experience. The average speed of home broadband has exceeded 30 Mbit/s. The fiber system has brought a smarter, faster, and smoother home network experience.

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Huawei and ITU will bring the digital world to people in remote areas

ICT infrastructures continue to evolve, but Huawei’s cloud and AI are bringing a digital world to people in remote areas. Huawei Cloud has proposed the “Everything as a Service” strategy. This has made the company’s technical expertise of over 30 years and digital transformation experience available via cloud services. This means access to Huawei’s digital infrastructure on the cloud is as easy, affordable, and sustainable as water and electricity.”

Digital transformation, digital talent, and innovative business models are all essential for balanced development in remote areas. Huawei has previously announced that by 2025, with its improved ICT infrastructure, it will work with partners to enable 500 million people to enjoy digital financial services and 500,000 people to enjoy inclusive education.

In Cambodia, Huawei will cooperate with government departments through the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and universities. With it, the firm aims to provide 10,000 training opportunities for ICT professionals in the next five years. Cambodia is ITU’s first P2C partner country. Huawei wants to embark on similar amibion with ITU. Don’t miss: Huawei Discusses Advanced Connectivity, Boost Growth at UBFF

Huawei says it is committed to an inclusive development model. Through its ongoing technological innovation, the world’s leading telecom gear vendor is contributing to a higher level of digitalization in remote regions. The company aims to enable everyone to enjoy the convenience of digital life, and promote the balanced development of the global digital economy.