Context:
The 8th edition of the India Mobile Congress is being held during the International Telecommunication Union – World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024.
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- WTSA-24 is taking place from 15 to 24 October 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, India.
- India Mobile Congress (IMC) is also being held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from October 15 to October 18.
It is for the first time that the ITU-WTSA is being hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific.
- WTSA-20 was scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, India, in November 2020 but was rescheduled in March 2022 to ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Communication noted that around 3,300 delegates from over 160 countries are participating, the highest in the history of WTSA.
India Mobile Congress 2024
- India Mobile Congress is Asia’s largest digital technology forum. It has become a well-known platform for showcasing innovative solutions and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government and other key stakeholders in the technology and telecom ecosystem.
- It will showcase India’s innovation ecosystem in Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with a spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud & edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT), semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing.
- The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) are hosting the IMC.
- Theme: “The Future is now”.
- The first edition of the India Mobile Congress was held in 2017.
World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA)
- WTSA is the governing conference for the standardisation work of the International Telecommunication Union.
- The WTSA is held every four years
India’s Initiative for Telecommunication
- Digital India Program ignited the 4G revolution.
- leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool across various sectors
- Production Linked Incentives (PLI) program to boost local manufacturing in the sector.
- Using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks’ potential to bridge the connectivity gap in our most challenging terrains, ensuring all Indians have access to fast internet services.
The International Telecommunication Union
- ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs).
- It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union.
- ITU is linked to the United Nations through a special agreement that recognises ITU as a UN-specialized agency and formally came into force on 1 January 1949.
- Currently, ITU has a membership of 194 Member States and more than 1000 companies, universities and international and regional organisations.
- ITU is Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with its regional offices on every continent.
- ITU allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops technical standards that ensure networks and technologies connection, and works to improve access to digital technologies in underserved communities worldwide.
- ITU Strategic Plan 2024-27: ITU Member States have set two clear strategic goals for the Union for 2024 to 2027: universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.