Testimonials

We will not be connected as a country or a village but we will be connected as a globe; so it is more than sharing best practices, it is really collaborating and coordinating - and this is an excellent venue for that. André Borges, Secretary of Telecommunications, Brazil

If we prepare the world through digital education and digital development, we will have a much better world - and for the first time in mankind’s history it is possible to do this in one generation. César Alierta Izuel, Chairman, Foundatión Telefónica

Government leaders from all over the world converge here and have discussions with top industry players and CEOs, sharing their experiences and what they are doing to overcome challenges, helping us to move faster than if you were doing it on your own. HE Siyabonga Cwele, Minister of DTPS, South Africa

You can talk for a long time about transformation, but you need to get into the area, as ITU Telecom World does, to see exactly what people are doing. That’s coupled that with a lot of good topics - and collaboration, talking about different things with different people at the same time, cultivating collaboration amongst the ecosystem suppliers, that is a great thing to do. Dr. Mohamed Madkour, Vice President, GWNM, Huawei Technologies

Here is a global platform where people learn from us and we also learn from them, here we have been able to network to find innovations in other parts of the world which we can adopt in our country..: so the world will be better, sooner. Abraham Kofi Asante, Administrator, GIFEC, Ghana

The benefits are enormous, meeting partners who are suppliers of equipment and service but also future investors, and being able to share experiences Elie Ntihagowumwe, Directeur général, BBS, Burundi

You bring international expertise from all over the world to one single event, there is a lot of showcasing of products and solutions but more importantly it is an opportunity to engage with people from all over the world, you are meeting with policy makers, with international players, finding areas of cooperation Shameel Joosub, CEO, Vodacom

Unlike most other shows where I just see big brand companies, all the developing countries are here, and it is really for the benefit of all ITU’s member states. David Wen, Chair, ITU Focus Group on Digital Fiat Currency

It is a fantastic gathering bringing together professionals from the industry, the public, the UN organizations, the officials to talk to each other, to have heated discussions…this is how you get new ideas, this is how you identify opportunities and challenges. Dr. Amani Abou - Zeid, Commissioner, African Union Commission

To learn, to network, to be able to meet other countries and people, learn what they are doing, share what you are doing back home and constantly improve. It is a good opportunity to network, to meet, to know each other, and that human contact is important Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed, Principal Secretary Broadcasting and Telecomms., Kenya

You see so many types of different people, you have so much valuable exchange between governments, telecom executives and the like, and fundamentally it is a great place to see a vibrant part of the global economy. Jacques Bughin, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company

It’s been brilliant to be able to meet so many ministers, regulators, directors of ICT all within one space, whereas normally we would have had to travel thousands of miles. Andy Bates, Executive Director, UK & EMEA, Global Cyber Alliance

It’s very green! We have only had to travel hundreds of metres up and down the hall to meet regulators, ministers, important people – it has saved me so much time and effort, very, very worthwhile. Jack Buechler, Chief Operating Officer, Quika

I am always very interested to see what new ideas are coming out in different markets, and the event inspires me in terms of thinking of ways of providing new services into the marketplace. Craig Price, SVP, International Projects, Craig Price

It is great value, the only downside is that I am being overworked! It is a great networking platform from the private sector to government, ministers, regulators. The biggest value is the working group sessions, the great conversations happening there – I look forward to it every year. Patrick Nyirishema, Director General, RURA, Rwanda

There are a number of benefits. The networking opportunity, making sure we are in line with the new technologies being discussed and are connected to the right organizations, the right people, and making sure our SMEs can engage with other potential businesses. It is an opportunity to learn from other countries, to ask the right questions and set up the right meetings. And it is a great visibility opportunity to show what we capable of doing and what we are doing in the country. Nenyi George Andah, Deputy Minister for ICT, Ghana

This is a very good opportunity to know the global situation and what kind of concerns people have, and to introduce our technology and how it helps other people. Satoshi Amagai, President & CEO, Morfiria

This event is an opportunity to meet all the actors in the international ecosystem. It was superb, really different visions from Asia and Africa, we met old partners and new, shard good practice, seen the enormous opportunities with SMEs in Iran and in South Africa – it was a really rich experience. Sabrina Mendes, International Market Intelligene, Softex, Brazil

It’s a one-stop stop shop. You can meet ministers, you can meet entrepreneurs, you can close deals, you can find out what is happening with new technologies, coming here is always a wonderful networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity, it is fantastic. Shola Taylor, Secretary General, CTO

The value is huge because it is an excellent platform, you have the conference sessions, you have the networking and you have the exhibition - so it is a good cocktail. Marc Vancoppenolle, Global Head of Government Relations, Nokia

Every time we come here, we come out with a new mindset. It’s a win-win situation, we come out with new partners, government agencies see our product and are excited and we are able to go there and maximise their revenue or implement our systems over there. These are kind of relationships we have got through ITU, so we think we can learn something and give something to the society. Birendra Sasmal, Chief Executive Officer, Subah

The sessions are interesting as they are more international, with people from different parts of the world with different attitudes to telecoms, to policy and governance, and sometimes it throws up some of the tensions as well as some of the agreements, which is important to understand for network developers and also for analysts and consultants such as myself. Dean Bubley, Founder & Director, Disruptive Analysis

ITU is where the top opinion leaders in the field of ITU work to contribute to a better world. Chung Young Hwan, President, Korea

The benefits are immense, and we will continue to put a premium on attendance at this event as it is an important way of showcasing our achievements in this sector as well as getting ideas on how best we can move telecoms forward in our country. Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission

We have benefited a lot in terms of networking, and in terms of business expansion. This is the right place for us, it provides exposure and it provides experience, we will take it back to Sudan and implement what we can do and make a difference. Bazara Imam Ali Barry, Business Development Dpt. Director, NCTR, Sudan

It is a common platform bringing people in government, people in business, and also people in the different industry areas - all of us on one platform. It is an international platform where we are trying to coordinate and with this kind of coordination we will be able to make the world better, sooner rather than later. Abraham Kofi Asante, CEO, GIFEC

This is a very good platform for all stakeholders to talk to each other and exchange ideas. This is now an ecosystem world, many partners together, and this is a very good platform for us to exchange ideas. Jianjun Zhou, Vice President, Carrier Business Group, Huawei

It is very exciting. We have learnt a whole lot, even in connectivity itself, we have interacted with companies, we have networked a lot with investors, we have invited them to our country and we can transform our society through them. Hon. Sidie Tunis, Minority Chief Whip, Sierra Leone

ITU Telecom World gives me inspiration and insights each year. We get to see what other developed and innovative countries are applying in emerging technologies, and it is also a platform for all parties and stakeholders to discuss future development. Yang Hua, Secretary General, TDIA

We learn many things in terms of applications and innovation, in terms of changing and learning, it is always a platform for us to come and exchange with the world. Abdoulkarim Soumaila, Secretary General, African Telecommunications Union

It has been of great value, we have had so much good contact, so many follow ups that we have do here, for us the value has been tremendous. Henrik Moelgaard, VP Global Sales, Bluetown

It is enabling us to connect and link to government, regulators and the private sector, meeting them and also sharing knowledge, what we have and what we learn in the forums, it benefits both sides. Birendra Sasmal, CEO, Subah Infosolutions

I think it is a very important platform because it brings together a Forum, a place for regulators, officials and industry players to get together to share experiences and exchange views about ICT issues, and the exhibition is very important to showcase what is available and what is coming up in terms of trends for the ICT and telecom sector. Leong Keng Thai, Member of the Broadband commission, Deputy Chief Executive and Director General, Infocomm Development Authority, Singapore

It is a great chance to see and talk to many people involved in the business, ITU people, government, carriers, service providers, new companies, to talk to them and present our new solutions. Shinichiro Nakamura, Deputy Division Director of Global Business Divison, Internet Initiative Japan

We are able to share the Kenyan experience, to showcase our innovations and compare what is happening globally, and have the opportunity to identify key collaborators that can work with the government to help develop the ICT agenda in Kenya. Sammy Itemere, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Kenya

This event is very helpful for us to understand ICT trends all over the world and to keep and enhance better relationships with partners all over the world in networking with ICT.   Manabu Kahara, President, NTT Communications (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

We in the UN community must reach out to diverse audiences, to understand and define collectively what the opportunities are, if we are going to deliver on our mandate of having impact where it is most needed, and that is what brings us to this type of forum. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

It is key to be in these forums and talk about what we can do together, organize that ecosystem, bring everyone to the same table, integrating the different worlds, because today everything is converging. Carlos Cornejo, Senior Vice President / Group Head New Consumers, Public Sector & Humanitarian Products, MasterCard Worldwide

This is my first time at ITU Telecom World and I was extremely fascinated that at the lunch table I had the government officials from Hungary, Tuvalu, someone from Tonga came over, one person from London representing the commonwealth telecom industry, there was tremendous diversity and viewpoints.   Astrid Tuminez, Regional Director, Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, South East Asia, Microsoft

My panel was a very fertile conversation, these are the kind of conversations that can happen here and we can move forward with better ideas.   Astrid Tuminez, Regional Director, Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, South East Asia, Microsoft

This is a very, very collaborative facilitation where we can learn from global best practices and continue to make the telecoms sector more vibrant, more resilient. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission

The recognition that tech start-ups and young entrepreneurs are going to create the jobs and solutions and innovations of the future means being here at ITU Telecom World is critical. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Minister, Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT), Rwanda

We learn about many things from different markets, where we don’t have the chance to meet the people or learn about these markets every day. We are learning from each other and sharing our best practices and this is the best thing of putting all these people together. Fatima Barros, Chair, ANACOM Board of Directors

Collaboration is not an option, it is a must for our industry – we compete and collaborate to make sure the benefits of our technology are reaped by humanity as a whole. Our industry is a shining example of how much good can come from collaboration. Hossein Moin, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Nokia Mobile Networks

It’s exciting to meet all the different stakeholders from different sectors - digital is impacting in so many different industries and fields that is good to bring us all together to look at the possible solutions. Lawrence Yanovitch, President, GSMA Foundation