Huawei to connect more people as it joins ITU's digital alliance

Huawei office building in Moscow, Russia. [iStockphoto]

Huawei has signed a global commitment to join the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Partner2Connect digital alliance, which will connect about 120 million people in remote areas in more than 80 countries by 2025.

Chairman of Huawei Liang Hua announced the decision at the company's 2022 Sustainability Forum, which explored how ICT innovation could boost the business and social value of connectivity and drive sustainability in the digital economy era.

The firm had previously announced that with the improved ICT infrastructure, it would, by 2025, work with partners "to enable 500 million people to enjoy digital financial services as 500,000 people to enjoy inclusive education".

ITU Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson called for affordable connectivity and relevant content in the local language, adding that users must have the skills to make the best use of it, which is what Huawei is pursuing.

United Nations Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee called for "multi-stakeholder partnerships" of policymakers, the private sector, academia, and civil society to close "the sobering reality" of a digital divide which excluded a third of the global population.

Dr Liang said access to a stable network was a basic requirement and right in the digital age. President of Huawei Wireless Solution Cao Ming said the firm "integrates the full-technology innovation of equipment, sites, energy, and antennas to address the hurdles faced by site deployment."