China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou and Internet pioneer Robert Kahn
World Telecommunication and Information Society Award will be presented at
World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China on 17 May
Geneva, 23 April 2010 - ITU marks the 145th anniversary of its establishment on 17 May this year by recognizing three eminent personalities who have contributed to the ongoing digital revolution. Malaysian Premier Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak; Chairman and CEO of China Mobile Mr Wang Jianzhou; and Mr Robert Kahn, one of the early pioneers of the Internet, were awarded the 2010 ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award in recognition of their dedication to promoting ICTs as a means of providing a better life for humanity.
The Awards were announced on the closing day of the annual session of ITU's Council.
Making the announcement, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré welcomed the three eminent laureates who have contributed to connecting the world through the Internet and the mobile phone and in making cyberspace a safer place for users everywhere. "ICTs have been instrumental in paving the way for a better future, increasingly dictating lifestyles and behaviour patterns, contributing to the growth of trade and commerce, improving governance and municipal services, and revolutionizing entertainment through the development of rapid communications," Dr Touré said. "On the 145th anniversary of ITU, it is my pleasure to honour those who have made this possible through their foresight and commitment to harness the potential of ICTs to make the world a better place."
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) marks the establishment of ITU on 17 May, 1865. It brings attention to the potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) in meeting the development and economic aspirations of societies and on the importance of the Internet as a global resource. This year's theme for WTISD, "Better City, Better Life with ICT", is in keeping with the overarching theme — Better City, Better Life — of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China where the global ceremony commemorating the occasion will be held on 17 May.
ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Awards
Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak has made connectivity one of his priorities. As part of the New Economic Model for Malaysia, he has placed a high priority on strengthening ICT infrastructure. His administration has supported the work of ITU in strengthening global cybersecurity through the IMPACT Centre in Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Wang Jianzhou is Executive Director, Chairman and CEO of China Mobile, which operates the world's largest mobile network with over 500 million subscribers. The China Mobile network covers all major cities in China as well as outlying and remote rural areas.
Mr Robert Kahn, President and CEO of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), played a key pioneering role in the development of the Internet. He laid the foundations of the TCP/IP protocol architecture, which is a standard operating feature of the Internet. CNRI is a non-profit organization that focuses on the strategic development of network-based information technologies and Kahn has continued to nurture the evolution of the Internet, steering the development of new standards.
For more information, please see www.itu.int/wtisd/ or contact:
Sanjay Acharya, Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
(Jaisakthivel, Tirunelveli, India)
