World Bank, ITU, WEF, and GSMA release concrete actions to help governments and private sector remain connected during pandemic

The World Bank, in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and GSMA hosted a high-level panel to discuss an accelerated action plan to boost digital technologies and infrastructure in support of citizens, the public and private sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual roundtable was attended by finance and information and communication technology (ICT) ministers, ICT regulators, CEOs of telecom and technology companies from around the world. The outcome of the roundtable was a high impact action plan and immediate measures to help countries remain connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some action points are: (a) promote network resilience, (b) ensure access and affordability of digital services, (c) support compliance with social distancing principles while providing vital connectivity, (d) leverage e-health, telemedicine, and big data to address the pandemic, d) ensure institutional frameworks are fit for purpose.