Page 15 - Sphere No.10 (Dec 2003)

Analysts had underestimated their deep-
er meaning and appeal. “A telephone is
mobile because we are mobile. It’s person-
al, it’s mine, and it’s always with me. I can’t
say the same about a computer, even if
portable,” Novari said.
The trend among consumers has been to
progressively migrate towards richer forms
of communication, such as colour in mag-
azines and television and the increasing
interactivity brought by the Internet.
Adding to the mix, lack of time is one of
the “new poverties” in today’s world. In
Italy, for example, 52% of the population
consider time to be a problem, yet only
44% lament their income level.That means
an increasing demand for time-saving
assets, services and solutions.
“The market of time is where mobile
communication is competing against other
industries, like transportation or media,”
Novari said.
Turning to 3G, he stressed that UMTS is
only an enabler but has far greater poten-
S PHERE
123
WHAT IS THE ITU?
The InternationalTelecommunications
Union (ITU) is a United Nations
organisation that enables govern-
ments and the private sector to coordi-
nate global telecom networks and ser-
vices to formulate international telecom-
munications policy.
The ITU is dedicated to accelerating the
delivery of digital opportunities to the
world through promoting expansion of
“infocommunications” networks, organising
strategic planning workshops and sympo-
siums, conducting country case studies,
tracking policy trends and organising
forums. It does this by maintaining good
relations with industry, research institu-
tions, the media and the public.
Having successfully staged ITU Telecom
Asia in 2000 and 2002, Hong Kong has
bid to host ITU Telecom World 2006,
underlining its position as both an inter-
national telecommunications and
Internet hub and as an exhibition
and conference centre. If the bid
is successful, the 2006 event will attract
100,000 visitors.
In support of Hong Kong’s bid, a gov-
ernment spokesman said: “With China
opening its information and communica-
tion technology (ICT) market to Hong
Kong companies under the Closer
Economic Partnership Arrangement
(CEPA) and to the world under the
World Trade Organisation (WTO), Hong
Kong will be the ideal venue for bringing
together leading industry executives to
further explore their market opportuni-
ties in China.”
Approximately 300 student delegates from 189 member states took part in the ITUYouth Forum held on the sidelines of ITU TelecomWorld 2003 in Geneva.