It's exciting to see a steady decline in the number of people who are not yet connected to the Internet: from 2.7 billion in 2022 to about 2.6 billion this year. Joint efforts by the private and public sectors are responsible for this encouraging progress.
In 2022, Huawei joined the ITU's Partner2Connect Digital Coalition. As part of our membership, Huawei pledged to bring connectivity to more than 120 million people across remote areas in more than 80 countries by 2025 by leveraging technologies and services such as 5G and AI.
While it is important to ensure that everyone has basic connectivity, we should also remember the vital role technology plays in fueling economic growth and protecting the natural world.
Investments in broadband networks and other ICT infrastructure stimulate economies by encouraging entrepreneurs to start businesses and enabling companies to offer new services. At the same time, digital technology protects the environment by reducing the environmental impact of economic development.
What progress have we made so far toward keeping that pledge? And what other social benefits can connectivity bring?
You could find out at our "Thriving Together with Tech: Realizing Sustainable Development" event, which was held on 21 November 2023 in Dongguan, China, as well as in many parallel sessions globally.
