'Shameful' That Half the World Lacks Net Access: ITU's Bogdan-Martin

It's "shameful" that "nearly half of all humanity" lacks internet access, said ITU Telecom Development Bureau Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin Wednesday in prerecorded remarks during the virtual Telecommunications Policy Research Conference. Getting people connected "requires a laser focus" on "innovative, responsive, [and] adaptive regulation, innovative financing models, and innovative people-centric multistakeholder partnerships," Bogdan-Martin said: "Business as usual isn't going to cut it this time around, and we cannot sit back and hope that market forces alone will bridge the connectivity chasm." Giga, an initiative led by ITU and UNICEF, expects to complete connectivity mapping of 1 million schools in 36 countries to "connect at least 1,000 schools in each of our first 17 priority countries" by Dec. 31, Bogdan-Martin said.