ITU World Congress opens in Budapest

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which marks its 150th anniversary this year, began its four-day World Congress in the Hungarian capital this Monday. The event focuses on the solutions, policies, projects and initiatives that are accelerating ICT innovation worldwide.

The role played by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is essential in innovation, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said at the opening of ITU’s world conference in Budapest on Monday.

Quoted by the Hungarian news agency MTI, Zhao said that the ITU, which is marking its 150th anniversary this year, plans to increasingly involve SMEs in its work and will increase support for innovation and development in various fields of infocommunications.

Magyar Telekom board chairman Kerstin Guenther said Hungary has one of the best telecoms networks in the region which is reflected in the country’s competitiveness and provides a good basis for future developments. The fragmentation of the telecoms market is one of the greatest challenges in Europe considering that around 200 service providers operate in a market of 500 million subscribers. This is in sharp contrast with the situation in China and the US where four to five national providers are operating, he added.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who said that Central Europe’s role in the digital economy will become more important; in the coming one or one and a half decades, this region will be the growth engine of the European Union.