World Telecommunication Day 2024: Know the date, origin, theme, significance and more | When Is News

Yet, there are significant disparities in digital access and adoption across different parts of the world. Insufficient policies, inadequate investments, and a lack of digital skills are hindering many countries from keeping up with the rapid pace of technological change.

As World Telecommunication and Information Society Day serves as an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to promoting digital inclusion and harnessing the power of digital technologies for sustainable development, here is all you need to know about the day.

World Telecommunication Day 2024: Date and Origin

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is observed annually on May 17th, and this year, in 2024, it will be falling on Friday. The day can be traced back to commemoration of the two significant events in the history of global communication.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) commemorates two significant events in the history of global communication. Firstly, it marks the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1865, when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed.

Followed by, in November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) called upon the United Nations General Assembly to also declare May 17th as World Information Society Day. And then in 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, agreed to combine the two events as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

World Telecommunication Day 2024: Theme and Significance

Globally, 2.6 billion individuals remain disconnected, creating significant digital gaps that inhibit innovation. Many nations, lacking essential legislation, investments, and digital skills, are failing to keep up with today’s rapidly changing digital world.

This year’s World Telecommunications and Information Society Day 2024 focuses on how digital innovation may help link everyone and create sustainable prosperity for all.

As a result, the simultaneous commemoration of World Telecommunication Day and World Information Society Day demonstrates the worldwide community’s commitment to promoting the development and application of ICT for the benefit of all people. It provides a forum for discussing the difficulties and possibilities posed by the fast-changing digital world, as well as reinforcing the importance of digital inclusion and sustainable development via the use of new technology.