ITU Report: Internet More Affordable and Widespread, but World's Poorest Still Shut Off From Online Opportunities

In its latest annual report measuring digital development, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), says an estimated 5.3 billion people of the earth's 8 billion are using the Internet in 2022, or roughly 66 percent of the world's populations. However, the gender digital divide continues to exist as only 63 percent of women were using the Internet in 2022 compared to 69 percent of men. "This means there are 259 million more men than women using the Internet in 2022," the report notes.

The ITU also finds that youth aged 15-24 years are the driving force of connectivity, with 75 percent of young people worldwide now able to use the Internet.​ The report encouragingly points out: "There are signs that the generational gap is shrinking. In 2020, the difference between the penetration rate among young people (71 percent) and the rest of the population (57 percent) was 14 percentage points."

What is more, "In all regions of the world, people aged between 15 and 24 are more connected than people who are older or younger than that. Universality, defined as more than 95 percent Internet use, has already been reached in this age group in high-income and upper-middle-income economies. The biggest gap in relative terms is observed in low-income economies, where 39 percent of young people use the Internet, compared with only 23 percent for the rest of the population."

With respect to mobile subscriptions, the report says almost three-quarters of the global population aged 10 and over now own a mobile phone. "Internet use is becoming as ubiquitous as mobile phones. Accordingly, the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions is rapidly approaching the level of mobile-cellular subscriptions, which is plateauing."

Despite the ubiquitousness of mobile phone use, "low levels of ICT skills hamper progress to universal and meaningful connectivity," the report importantly notes. "A low level of ICT skills is one of the main barriers to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity."

As for the affordability of ICT services, the report finds that global median price of mobile-broadband services dropped from 1.9 percent to 1.5 percent of average gross national income (GNI) per capita. However, the report explains that "the lack of affordability continues to be a key barrier to Internet access particularly in low-income economies, even though this country group witnessed a nearly two-percentage-point drop in the income-adjusted price of mobile broadband services." Furthermore, "A wide gap remains between high-income economies and the rest of the world. Compared to median prices that are paid in high-income economies, the basket costs nearly 10 times as much in lower-middle-income economies and nearly 30 times as much as in low-income economies, after adjusting for differences in GNI per capita."

​​​

I appreciate how ITU's annual Facts and Figures report offers an independent and rigorously researched snapshot of the state of digital connectivity worldwide. As Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who was elected as ITU's Secretary-General subsequently after the report's publication, wrote: The report "serves as a key element in global efforts to 'connect the world' and bring universal meaningful connectivity to everyone, everywhere. Accurate data are essential: to be sure our policies and projects are having a real impact on bridging the digital divide, we need to constantly track core connectivity indicators, and drill down into the data to reveal both unexpected sticking points, and surprising successes." She adds that "ITU data are relied upon, not just by the broader UN system, but by governments, the global technology sector, development financing institutions, and the many grassroots organizations working to promote digital inclusion within their communities."

What recommendations do you have for increasing digital inclusion and promoting online opportunities?

​Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

ITU Report Suggests 'COVID Connectivity Boost' – but World's Poorest Being Left Far Behind

Writing the Forward for a report produced by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, says "An estimated 4.9 billion people are using the Internet in 2021, according to latest estimates in this 2021 edition of Measuring Digital Development: Facts and figures. That means that roughly 63 percent of the world's population is now online – an increase of 17 percent – with almost 800 million people estimated to have come online since 2019. Internet penetration increased more than 20 percent on average in Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, and in the UN-designated Least Developed Countries (LDCs)."

Moreover, according to Ms. Bogdan-Martin, "It is clear that ICTs and the Internet have been vital in helping maintain continuity in business activity, employment, education, provision of basic citizens' services, entertainment, and socializing. Digital platforms and services have enabled countless innovations that helped mitigate the health, social and economic costs of the tragedy, and build resilience against future crises."

Key findings of the 2021 edition of Facts and Figures, ITU's annual overview of the state of digital connectivity worldwide, include:

The digital gender divide is narrowing globally, but large gaps remain in poorer countries.

• Globally, an average of 62 percent of men use the Internet compared with 57 percent of women.
• Although the digital gender divide has been narrowing in all world regions and has been virtually eliminated in the developed world (89 percent of men and 88 percent of women online) wide gaps remain in Least Developed Countries (31 percent of men compared to just 19 percent of women) and in Landlocked Developing Countries (38 percent of men compared to 27 percent of women).
• The gender divide remains particularly pronounced in Africa (35 percent of men compared to 24 percent of women) and the Arab States (68 percent of men compared to 56 percent of women).

The urban-rural gap, though less severe in developed countries, remains a major challenge for digital connectivity in the rest of the world.

• Globally, people in urban areas are twice as likely to use the Internet than those in rural areas (76 percent urban compared to 39 percent rural).
• In developed economies, the urban-rural gap appears negligible in terms of Internet usage (with 89 percent of people in urban areas having used the Internet in the last three months, compared to 85 percent in rural areas), whereas in developing countries, people in urban areas are twice as likely to use the Internet as those in rural areas (72 percent urban compared to 34 percent rural).
• In the LDCs, urban dwellers are almost four times as likely to use the Internet as people living in rural areas (47 percent urban compared to 13 percent rural).

A generational gap is evident across all world regions.

• On average, 71 percent of the world's population aged 15-24 is using the Internet, compared with 57 percent of all other age groups.
• This generational gap is reflected across all regions. It is most pronounced in the LDCs, where 34 percent of young people are connected, compared with only 22 percent of the rest of the population.
• Greater uptake among young people bodes well for connectivity and development. In the LDCs, for example, half of the population is less than 20 years old, suggesting that local labor markets will become progressively more connected and technology-savvy as the younger generation enters the workforce.

ITU continues monitoring the world's evolving digital divide.

• ITU figures also point to a glaring gap between digital network availability versus actual connection. While 95 percent of people in the world could theoretically access a 3G or 4G mobile broadband network, billions of them do not connect.
• Affordability of devices and services remains a major barrier. The widely accepted target for affordable broadband connectivity in developing countries sets the cost of an entry-level mobile broadband package at 2 percent of gross national income (GNI) per capita. Yet in some of the world's poorest nations, getting online can cost a staggering 20 percent or more of per capita GNI.
• Lack of digital skills and an appreciation of the benefits of an online connection is another bottleneck, compounded by a lack of content in local languages, as well as by interfaces that demand literacy and numeracy skills that many people do not possess.

The digital divide, which is the gulf between those who have ready access to the Internet and those who do not, is a topic often discussed on this forum. And while it is encouraging to see entrepreneurs launch tech startups in low- and middle-income countries, the success of these new enterprises and the benefits their digital platforms and services can bring to consumers is limited if people are unable to access the Internet. As Ms. Bogdan-Martin insightfully notes in the report, "We cannot close the digital divide if we cannot measure it. And we cannot connect the unconnected if we do not know who they are, where they live, and why they remain offline – nor can we measure the success of our policies to bridge the gap.

"Through a set of unique and timely statistics, ITU’s Facts and figures sheds light on the multiple facets and evolving nature of the digital divide and takes stock of the progress towards closing it."

What do you think of the report's findings? What are your recommendations for bridging the digital divide?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

ROI3 and Entreprov to Join ITU's Focus Group on Machine Learning for Future Networks Including 5G

Image: http://ow.ly/4e7730gLyby

In a post on this blog dated Feb. 27, 2016, I write how 5G is a new wave of mobile technology that will bring drastic change. The flow of high volume of data with low latency will bring changes industrialized and developing countries alike will see in various sectors including connected devices (IoT), autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning. While the business model for some of these emerging technologies are still being crafted and tested, the research and development is happening now and I am regularly exploring opportunities to learn more about these technologies. Therefore, I am proud to announce that ROI3 has joined the International Telecommunication Union's Focus Group on Machine Learning for Future Networks including 5G.

In a press release, the Geneva, Switzerland-based ITU says the purpose of the focus group, which goes by FG-ML5G, is to "establish a basis for ITU standardization to assist machine learning in bringing more automation and intelligence to ICT network design and management." FG-ML5G "will lead an intensive one-year investigation into where technical standardization could support emerging applications of machine learning in fields such as big data analytics, network management and orchestration, and security and data protection."

In addition, FG-ML5G will draft technical reports and specifications for machine learning for future networks, including interfaces, network architectures, protocols, algorithms and data formats. The ITU's announcement further says,

The Focus Group will consider machine-learning methods' compatibility with a wide variety of fixed and mobile communication stacks, encouraging the development of methods attuned to the operational requirements of the networking industry.

Interoperability is high on the agenda. The Focus Group will propose means to train, adapt, compress and exchange machine-learning algorithms. This work will promote the emergence of an ecosystem able to support the interaction of multiple machine-learning algorithms.

Machine-learning algorithms are helping operators to make smarter use of network-generated data. These algorithms enable ICT networks and their components to adapt their behavior autonomously in the interests of efficiency, security and optimal user experience.

My colleagues and I at ROI3 will collaborate with Alex Brooks of AE Brooks, LLC (d/b/a Entreprov) in our participation of FG-ML5G. Entreprov is a Seattle, Wash.-based company that helps small and medium-sized businesses increase their customer base and extend lifetime value of current customers through machine learning and business strategy. In his blog post about joining FG-ML5G, Mr. Brooks said, with Entreprov and ROI3 joining forces we have the opportunity to provide a unique perspective on how Machine Learning can impact 5G technology.

ROI3 previously participated on ITU's focus group to identify the network standardization requirements for the 5G development of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond. The Focus Group on network aspects of IMT-2020 was established in May 2015 to analyze how emerging 5G technologies will interact in future networks as a preliminary study into the networking innovations required to support the development of 5G systems. The group took an ecosystem view of 5G research of development and published the analysis in a report to its parent group, ITU-T Study Group 13, in December 2016.

I am excited to have the opportunity to learn more about machine learning. In collaborating with Mr. Brooks on FG-ML5G, it is my hope to better understand the role of machine learning in fields such as big data analytics, network management and orchestration, and security and data protection on global scale.

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

80 Percent of the Global Youth Population Is Online, Says ITU Report

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) based in Geneva, Switzerland, published its ICT Facts and Figures 2017 report that says 830 million young people are online, representing 80% of the youth population in 104 countries. In developed countries, 94% of young people aged 15-24 use the Internet compared with 67% in developing countries and only 30% in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The report further notes that "out of the 830 million young people who are online, 320 million (39%) are in China and India. Nearly 9 out of 10 young individuals not using the Internet live in Africa or Asia and the Pacific."

Proportion of youth (15-24)

using the Internet, 2017 (estimated):

ITU

Encouragingly, the proportion of young people aged 15-24 using the Internet (71%) is significantly higher than the proportion of the total population using the Internet (48%). Moreover, according to the report, young people represent almost one-fourth of the total number of individuals using the Internet worldwide. In LDCs, 35% of the individuals using the Internet are young people aged 15-24, compared with 13% in developed countries and 23% globally.

The report, however, discouragingly says the digital gender gap continues to persist: "The proportion of men using the Internet is higher than the proportion of women using the Internet in two-thirds of countries worldwide." In addition, "There is a strong link between gender parity in the enrollment ratio in tertiary education and gender parity in Internet use. The only region where a higher percentage of women than men are using the Internet is the Americas, where countries also score highly on gender parity in tertiary education."

What is more, "The proportion of women using the Internet is 12% lower than the proportion of men using the Internet worldwide. While the gender gap has narrowed in most regions since 2013, it has widened in Africa. In Africa, the proportion of women using the Internet is 25% lower than the proportion of men using the Internet. In LDCs, only one out of seven women is using the Internet compared with one out of five men."

Under the chapter "Broadband is Increasingly Mobile," the report explains that mobile-broadband subscriptions have grown more than 20% annually in the last five years and are expected to reach 4.3 billion globally by end 2017. Despite the high growth rates in developing countries and in LDCs, there are twice as many mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in developed countries as in developing countries, and four times as many in developed countries as in LDCs."

Moreover, "The global number of fixed-broadband subscriptions has increased by 9% annually in the last five years and 330 million new fixed-broadband subscriptions have been added. Higher growth will be needed to bridge the divide between developed and developing countries: there are 31 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in developed countries against 9 in developing countries."

Lastly, in a press release announcing the publication of the report, ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said: "ITU's ICT Facts and Figures 2017 shows that great strides are being made in expanding Internet access through the increased availability of broadband networks. Digital connectivity plays a critical role in bettering lives, as it opens the door to unprecedented knowledge, employment and financial opportunities for billions of people worldwide."

Do you agree with Mr. Zhao? What ICT products or services should be developed for the youth population? What can be done to eliminate the digital gender gap?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

7 Billion People Live in an Area Covered by a Mobile-Cellular Network

Mobile network coverage
and evolving technologies: ITU

"Seven billion people (95% of the global population) live in an area that is covered by a mobile-cellular network," according to a report titled ICT Facts and Figures 2016. Published annually since 2009 by the ITU, a United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies based in Geneva, Switzerland, this year's report provides statistical evidence of a digital divide that exists regarding access to affordable mobile broadband, as well as the widening gender gap of Internet penetration.

There is a common perception that people worldwide have access to the Internet, which is supported by the fact that 84 percent of the global population has access to mobile-broadband networks (3G or above). However, mobile-broadband networks reach just 67 percent of the global rural population. 

With respect to Long-Term Evolution, commonly marketed as 4G LTE, a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals, "LTE networks have spread quickly over the last three years and reach almost 4 billion people today (53% of the global population), enhancing the quality of Internet use."

World's Offline
Population, 2016: ITU

The digital divide remains a significant problem in 2016. The ITU claims that "close to one out of two people (47%) in the world are using the Internet but only one out of seven people in the LDCs. Developed regions are home to one billion Internet users, compared to 2.5 billion users in the developing world."

It is encouraging, however, to read that "in developing countries, the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions continues to grow at double digit rates, reaching a penetration rate of close to 41%. The total number of mobile-broadband subscriptions is expected to reach 3.6 billion by end 2016."

Not surprisingly, lower costs to access ICT services via mobile devices is a key driver to smartphone and LTE adoption, particularly in developing countries. "The average price of a basic fixed-broadband plan is more than twice as high as the average price of a comparable mobile-broadband plan," says the ITU. The report further explains that 83 developing countries had achieved the Broadband Commission's affordability target by end 2015. While five LDCs achieved the Broadband Commission target, broadband, fixed or mobile, remains unaffordable in a majority of the world's poorest countries.

Internet Penetration Rate for
Men and Women, 2016: ITU

For the first time, the ITU report provides statistical data regarding the Internet penetration rate for men and women. Disappointingly, "Internet penetration rates are higher for men than for women in all regions of the world." The report continues: "The global Internet user gender gap grew from 11% in 2013 to 12% in 2016. The gap remains large in the world's Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - at 31%. In 2016, the regional gender gap is largest in Africa (23%) and smallest in the Americas (2%)."

Also for the first time, the report provides statistical data on machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions as the Internet of Things (IoT) economy is beginning to accelerate. The report notes that "the countries with the highest M2M penetration rates are highly industrialized, advanced economies, including the Northern European countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark."

What are your impressions of the ITU report?

Aaron Rose serves as President and CEO of ROI3, Inc., a Seattle, Wash.-based company that empowers people in emerging economies through innovative, technology-based solutions. He is also the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

5G Is a New Wave of Mobile Technology That Will Bring Drastic Change

Photo: http://ow.ly/YQbWb

On the topic of 5G, The Economist published an article that claims the "new wave of mobile technology is on its way, and will bring drastic change." The article notes that "although the previous batch, collectively called 'fourth generation,' or 4G, is still being rolled out in many countries, the telecoms industry has already started working on the next, 5G."

"The advent of 5G is likely to bring another splurge of investment, just as orders for 4G equipment are peaking," the Feb. 20, 2016 article says. "The goal is to be able to offer users no less than the 'perception of infinite capacity,' says Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey. Rare will be the device that is not wirelessly connected, from self-driving cars and drones to the sensors, industrial machines and household appliances that together constitute the 'internet of things' (IoT)."

The article correctly explains that the "path to a 5G wireless paradise will not be smooth. It is not only the usual telecoms suspects who will want a say in this mother of all networks. Media companies will want priority to be given to generous bandwidth, so they can stream films with ever higher resolution."

What is more, "Most IoT firms will not need much bandwidth, but will want their sensors to run on one set of batteries for years—so they will want the 5G standard to put a premium on low power consumption. Online-gaming firms will worry about latency: players will complain if it is too high."

It is important to point out that a lot of hype exists in this next generation of mobile technology. The article says that "when it comes to 5G, much is still up in the air: not only which band of radio spectrum and which wireless technologies will be used, but what standards makers of network gear and handsets will have to comply with." Furthermore, "Telecoms firms have reached consensus only on a set of rough 'requirements.' The most important are connection speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second and response times ('latency') of below 1 millisecond (see chart)."

Despite the hype corporate executives and political leaders worldwide are making, often prematurely or ignorantly, the article accurately notes "the momentum is real. South Korea and Japan are front-runners in wired broadband, and Olympic games are an opportunity to show the world that they intend also to stay ahead in wireless, even if that may mean having to upgrade their 5G networks to comply with a global standard once it is agreed."

China and India, the world's largest and fastest growing mobile markets, respectively, will provide significant opportunities in the deployment and subsequent commercialization of 5G. With respect to the U.S. market, "AT&T and Verizon both invested early in 4G, and would like to lead again with 5G."

The article concludes with a discussion about the evolution versus revolution development of 5G. While you can read the entire discussion in the article, as a member ITU's focus group to identify the network standardization requirements for the 5G development of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond, I have listened to much discussion about the evolution versus revolution development of 5G. Regardless of the rhetoric among the technical engineers devoted to the development of 5G, many sectors will benefit from this new wave of mobile technology including cloud computing, IoT, virtual reality, and 3D content accessible through a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smart watch.

What are your thoughts about The Economist's article?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

How will the Global Economic Environment Impact Key Industries in 2016?

The Economist Intelligence Unit published a report, Industries in 2016, that explores how the global economic environment will impact key industries in the coming year. The report provides analysis and forecasts for six industries: automotive, consumer goods and retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications. This post focuses on aspects from the report's discussion of the telecommunications industry.

The report's opening paragraph says, "To prosper in 2016, companies must prepare for volatility in emerging markets, parsimony among consumers and governments, tightening regulations and yet more digital disruption." And regarding the telecommunications sector, this industry "is no stranger to disturbing change and 2016 will bring more of it."

The EIU report is correct to note that "with consumers increasingly accustomed to being connected at all times, operators will have to invest mightily to keep them happy." The report mentions major investments by two multinational telecom players seeking to increase connectivity among its customers while, at the same time, increasing its customer base: Vodafone's £7 billion modernization program called "Project Spring," which is "aimed at improving connections on its mobile networks." And Indian operator Bharti Airtel's 'Project Leap,' a US$9 billion investment over three years that "will upgrade legacy networks and thousands of base stations, build indoor networks and make its fixed broadband lines faster."

While internet access may be ubiquitous in the industrialized world, billions of people in emerging and developing countries still lack internet access. "Another aim of operators' investments will be reaching the swathes of the global population for whom internet access is fleeting and unaffordable," the report explains.

Furthermore, "The targets for 2020 set out by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) include connecting more households and making telecoms services more affordable for consumers. Hence operator efforts to boost both the take-up and affordability of internet access, whether via smartphones or traditional broadband connections." And mobile broadband, through the increasingly rapid deployment of 3G and 4G connections, is widening access to mobile broadband in developing markets. In fact, 2016 internet penetration globally "is forecast to surpass 50 users per 100 people for the first time."

The internet of things (IoT), which are networks of objects linked through embedded connectivity, continues to be promoted as the next big thing. "Still," according to the report, "in 2016 companies across more industries will become more aware of its many potential applications, as the increased sophistication of 4G technology spurs the market for connected devices." Device makers, and smartphone manufacturers in particular, are facing margin pressures and decreased sales as a result of market saturation and intense competition. Those companies will need to effectively capture revenue the IoT market is expected to generate in 2016.

With respect to the continued rise of global e-commerce, the EIU report notes:

Singles Day, on November 11th, is the largest online shopping date in the world, with US$14.3bn sales in 2015 thanks chiefly to its popularity in China. Yet Singles Day could easily follow Black Friday, originally a US-only event, to go global. The force behind it, Alibaba, is expanding aggressively overseas, where ethnic Chinese are already catching on. An even earlier start to the holiday sales season beckons.

Lastly, "The popularity of mobile video owes much to technological advances like bigger and better smartphone screens, and faster internet connections." Not just established companies like Facebook and YouTube, but Periscope and Vine are offering live video feeds. "Together with advertisers, these companies will seek to profit from the coming march of cheap 4G connections across India and other emerging markets."

The EIU says its report will help business leaders "pinpoint key issues and trends that will enable you to influence strategic decision-making and answer vital business questions for your organisation in 2016." What key issues and trends are valuable to your business? Are there issues affecting your business not covered in the report?

Aaron Rose serves as President and CEO of ROI3, Inc., a Seattle, Wash.-based company that empowers people in emerging economies through innovative, technology-based solutions. He is also the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Defining a Vision and Road Map for 5G Mobile Development

In my previous blog post, I announced that ROI3, Inc. joined ITU's new focus group to identify the network standardization requirements for the 5G development of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond. I participated in the first meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on IMT-2020 (FG IMT-2020) that was held from June 8-9, 2015 in San Diego, Calif. where we "established the overall roadmap for the development of 5G mobile and defined the term it will apply to it as 'IMT-2020,'" according to an ITU press release of June 19, 2015. "The meeting also agreed that the work should be conducted under the name of IMT-2020, as an extension of the ITU's existing family of global standards for International Mobile Telecommunication systems (IMT-2000 and IMT-Advanced) which serve as the basis for all of today's 3G and 4G mobile systems."

Furthermore, "With the finalization of its work on the 'Vision' for 5G systems at a meeting of ITU-R Working Party 5D in San Diego, California, ITU has now defined the overall goals, process and timeline for the development of 5G mobile systems. This process is now well underway within ITU, in close collaboration with governments and the global mobile industry."

60 individuals from 18 countries representing a wide-array of stakeholders from the mobile broadband industry attended the two-day meeting. Among the 33 contributions presented and discussed, one presentation noted that 5G technology will change people’s lifestyle and enrich society through hyper mobile connectivity with projected data delivery speeds in excess of 10,000 megabits per second (Mbps) compared to 450 Mbps and 14.4 Mbps provided by 4G/LTE and 3G, respectively. Another presentation noted how the jump from 4G to 5G is an evolutionary as well as a revolutionary process.

The next step to identifying the network standardization requirements for 5G development, according to ITU's announcement, "is to establish detailed technical performance requirements for the radio systems to support 5G, taking into account the needs of a wide portfolio of future scenarios and use cases, and then to specify the evaluation criteria for assessment of candidate radio interface technologies to join the IMT-2020 family. These new systems, set to become available in 2020, will usher in new paradigms in connectivity in mobile broadband wireless systems to support, for example, extremely high definition video services, real time low latency applications and the expanding realm of the Internet of Things (IoT)."

My colleagues and I are planning to participate in the second FG IMT-2020 meeting from July 13-14, 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. We will continue to learn how 5G will lead to the development of IoT, cloud computing, virtual reality (VR), and 3D content accessible through a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smart watch.

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

ROI3 Joins ITU Focus Group to Identify Network Standardization Requirements for 5G Development

I am pleased to announce that ROI3, Inc. has joined ITU's new focus group to identify the network standardization requirements for the "5G" development of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond. On May 5, 2015, Geneva, Switzerland-based ITU announced it "has established a new Focus Group to The network studies will be hosted by ITU's Standardization Sector (ITU-T), benefiting from the strength of ITU-T standardization in wireline communications." Led by ​Peter Ashwood-Smith of Huawei Technologies, FG IMT-2020 will hold its first meeting in San Diego, Calif. from June 8-9, 2015, with subsequent meetings in Geneva, Switzerland from July 13-14, 2015, Milan, Italy in September 2015, and Beijing, China in October 2015.

In 2012, according to ITU's press release, the organization "established a programme on International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond, which provides the framework for IMT-2020 research and development worldwide. ITU's Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is coordinating the international standardization of IMT-2020 systems. ITU-T is expected to play a similar convening role for the technologies and architectures of wireline networks."

Furthermore, this ITU website explains that "'IMT-2020' systems will enable wireless communication to match the speed and reliability achieved by fibre-optic infrastructure. The potential application fields of IMT-2020 systems, in addition to voice and video, span from healthcare to industrial automation, virtual reality, automated driving, and robotic systems controlled with an imperceptible time-lag. One-millisecond end-to-end latency is necessary for technical systems to replicate natural human interaction with our environment, a goal that experts say should be within reach of future networks."

It is believed that 5G will become available in 2020. While a standardized definition does not exist for 5G, large corporations and small businesses in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector must begin to consider how to create opportunities through the next generation of mobile network. It is my intent to have ROI3 be part of the 5G standardization efforts and learn what mobile products and software solutions can be created for the global marketplace. Specific sectors that may benefit from 5G include the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, virtual reality (VR), and 3D content accessible through a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smart watch.

The ITU notes: "IMT-2020 research and development is underway in a wide range of industry and public-sector bodies. The Focus Group's scope of activity is concentrated in identifying the standardization needs of the wireline elements of 5G networks, building on an analysis of other entities' IMT-2020 studies."

What possibilities do you envision using 5G technology?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.