Chinese tech giant Huawei has joined a United Nations-led digital coalition, pledging to bolster its commitment to bridge the digital divide globally, particularly in remote communities.
The alliance that Huawei is joining was started by the UN's information technology agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Known as the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition, it aims to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally.
Huawei Chairman Liang Hua said Wednesday that by joining the ITU's program, the company is committed to helping 120 million people in remote areas connect to the digital world by 2025.
"The intelligent world is fast approaching. The new ubiquitous connectivity, enabled by 5.5G, F5.5G, Net5.5G, and more, has the potential to create new business value and greater social value," Liang said at the company's 2022 Sustainability Forum.
He said Huawei is committed to working with its global partners and "innovating together" to maximize the impact of connectivity and promote greater sustainability.
ITU: World's 1/3 population remains offline
ITU recently found that one-third of the world's population, or 2.7 billion people, remains offline.
The sobering situation has been partly changed by the continuous work of Chinese tech company Huawei and its global operators in recent years. By 2021, Huawei said its RuralStar network solutions have connected more than 60 million people in far-fringed areas in more than 70 countries.
"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 best use of it," said ITU Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson, who expressed appreciation for Huawei's support of the P2C, according to Xinhua News.
To achieve this goal, Huawei said it will also work with government departments and universities in Cambodia, the first P2C partner country of the ITU, to provide 10,000 training opportunities for professionals in the next five years.
"As we reach the milestone of eight billion people worldwide, we should consider whether every member of our human family has a decent chance to share in the benefits of the digital age," said UN China Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee.
(Cover via CFP)