Telecom
ITU Plenipotentiary Conference Looks at Future of Global ICT Sector
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU’s) 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference opened its doors to over 3,000 delegates and almost 600 local and international media on Monday.
Hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP), the event takes place at Busan’s BEXCO exhibition and conference centre from 20 October – 7 November.
ITU’s Plenipotentiary – so-called because of the full international treaty-making power accorded the heads of participating government delegations and it is the world’s largest meeting of international policy makers from the information and communication (ICT) sector.
Known informally as PP-14, this year’s conference welcomes participants from some 175 ITU Member States, Sector Members and observer organizations, including over 104 Ministers, 35 Deputy Ministers, and 67 ambassadors.
It is held every four years to set the strategic direction of ITU and to develop policies and recommendations that address the evolving needs of the Union’s members.
Issues on this year’s agenda include digital inclusion and broadband rollout, broader international cooperation on ICT development, and new strategies to encourage membership and strengthen multi-stakeholder participation.
For the first time, the conference will also try to reach international agreement on establishment of new global ICT development goals and targets under a new framework called ‘Connect 2020’.
Chairman-designate of the conference is MSIP Assistant Minister Wonki Min, a distinguished ICT policy maker with more than 25 years’ experience crafting Korea’s highly successful ICT development strategy.
He will be formally confirmed in his role at the opening plenary session this afternoon.
Speaking to delegates at the opening ceremony, Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU secretary-general, noted that since he took office in January 2007 the number of mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide has more than doubled, from 2.7 billion to 6.9 billion.
During the same period, the number of Internet users has grown from 1.2 billion to an estimated 2.9 billion.
“This is not just a story of connectivity for connectivity’s sake – it is a story of real human progress,” said Dr Touré, reminding delegates of the need to take bold decisions that will help connect the billions who still remain offline. “In ultra-connected environments like Busan it’s too easy to forget that, for most of the world’s people, phones, smartphones and connected computers are a lifeline, not a luxury. Connectivity brings healthcare, education, employment, banking and improved governance, so over the course of the next three weeks I hope you will take the time to dream, to imagine, to innovate, and to create a bright, long-term future for the ICT sector.”
In her commemorative speech to delegates, President Park said: “Telecommunications and ICT has been catalytic in the rapid development of the Internet and mobile communications… We have reached an inflection point in the hyper-connected digital revolution – a revolution defined by increased connection, smarter connection, and faster connection.”
President Park said she welcomed the hosting of PP-14 because ITU is the “premier global policy-making body for telecommunications and ICT”, a “pivot of international cooperation which has made significant contributions to advance the economies and living standards of its 193 Member States by developing technological standards in telecommunications, and managing international radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits”.
Ban Ki-Moon, UN secretary-general himself a Korean national, joined the event via video message, telling assembled delegates that “mobile phones have connected people as never before. Broadband networks have made information accessible, helping to bridge the digital divide, especially for women, youth and people living with disabilities. ICTs are in short, among the keys to achieving sustainable development. As we shape a new development agenda and strive for a new agreement on climate change, let us continue to work together to harness the power of technology to create and accessible and sustainable future for all.”
Other high-ranking delegates present at this morning’s opening included Korea’s Minister for Science, ICT and Future Planning, Yanghee Choi, and Mayor of Busan Byung-soo Suh.
“We are about to enter an age of hyperconnectivity where cross-border activities and connections become stronger than ever. In such a world, ICT development is no longer an individual nation’s issue. And the fact remains that there are still many who have little or no access to broadband or ICT… we look forward to PP-14 not only discussing technological and industrial development, but also collectively addressing the issue of expanding the infrastructure in developing countries and creating the environment conducive to secure and sound utilization of ICT,” said Mr Choi.
Mayor Suh reminded delegates that ITU “has a special bond with Busan”, having chosen the city to host its ITU Telecom 2004 conference almost exactly a decade ago.
Agenda & Elections
One of the principal tasks of PP-14 will be to determine ITU’s Strategic Plan for 2016-2020 and the Financial Plan for the same period, which will provide the resources needed to meet the goals and deliverables mandated by members.
Later in its first week, the conference will elect the Union’s five top executives – the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General, and the Directors of the Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunication Development Bureau – as well as other governing bodies of the Union, the ITU Council and Radio Regulations Board.
Houlin Zhao, Current Deputy-Secretary-General, a Chinese national and respected telecoms engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the international environment, will be confirmed as ITU’s next Secretary-General.
Five candidates are contesting the post of Deputy Secretary-General, and three candidates are contesting the post of Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau.
The current incumbent Directors of both the Radiocommunication Bureau and the Telecommunication Development Bureau are running unopposed for a second term of office.
There are 20 candidates for the 12 seats on the Radio Regulations Board, and 60 candidate countries for the 48 seats on ITU Council, the governing body which oversees the running of the Union in between quadrennial Plenipotentiary Conferences.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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