What is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)?

About International Telecommunication Union

• It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
• It was established in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union.
• In 1947 the ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• It is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates between governments and private sector bodies with respect to global telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) services.
• Member countries: It has a membership of 193 countries and more than 1000 companies, universities and international and regional organizations.
• Functions:
  • allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits;
  • coordination and setting of technical standards related to telecommunication/ICT;
  • work to improve access to ICTs in underserved communities worldwide;
• India and ITU: India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869 and has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

What is the Digital Innovation Board?

• It was formed under the aegis of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
• This Board comprises Ministers and Vice Ministers of Telecom/ICT of 23 Member Countries of ITU spanning Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America.
• ITU has started Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development to respond to significant unmet needs of ITU Membership in the area of innovation, as articulated in the Kigali Action Plan adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022.
• The Alliance has three main vehicles: – Digital Transformation Lab, Network of Acceleration Centres and Digital Innovation Board
• The Alliance establishes the Digital Innovation Board to provide strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy regarding its mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development, to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all.

Q1) What is entrepreneurship?

At its most basic level, entrepreneurship refers to an individual or a small group of partners who strike out on an original path to create a new business. An aspiring entrepreneur actively seeks a particular business venture and it is the entrepreneur who assumes the greatest amount of risk associated with the project. 

Source: International Telecommunication Union elects India as co-chair of its Digital Innovation Board