International Telecommunication Union Ebrahim Al Haddad, Regional Director, ITU Innovation and Technology Day, 24 th April 2012, Doha

International Telecommunication Union “…Innovation is essential if countries and firms are to recover from the global economic downturn and thrive in today’s highly competitive and connected global economy. It is a powerful engine for development and for addressing social and economic challenges. And it holds the key, both in advanced and emerging economies, to employment generation and enhanced productivity growth through knowledge creation and its subsequent application and diffusion” Ministerial Report on the OECD Innovation Strategy

International Telecommunication Union Innovation and ICTs “Today, high-speed communication networks support innovation throughout the economy much as electricity and transport networks spurred innovation in the past.” -- OECD Ministerial Report on Innovation

International Telecommunication Union How does it happen? “Innovation” does not occur in isolation Innovation arises out of the intersection of a series of interacting initiatives across multiple sectors performed by a broad group of actors — including governments, institutions, firms and, increasingly, ICT-enabled users

International Telecommunication Union Where ICTs are having major impact on innovation

International Telecommunication Union ICTs having large impact on: education and training systems nature of work Direct involvement of end users in innovation processes Entrepreneurial culture "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read & write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn & relearn" - Alvin Toffler

International Telecommunication Union Unleashing innovation in firms ICTs having large impact on: Framework conditions supportive of competition and conducive to innovation Well-functioning financial markets. Easing access to finance for new firms Culture of risk-taking and creative activity Fostering innovation in small and medium-sized firms, in particular new and young ones

International Telecommunication Union Creating and applying knowledge ICTs having large impact on: Investment in effective public research systems Ensuring coherence between sources of funding R&D Ensuring modern and reliable knowledge infrastructure supporting innovation accompanied by regulatory frameworks supporting open access to networks and competition in market Policy and regulatory environment that allows for the development of technologies and their convergence

International Telecommunication Union Creating and applying knowledge cont’d ICTs having large impact on: Facilitating knowledge flows and foster development of networks and markets that enable creation, circulation and diffusion of knowledge, along with an effective system of intellectual property rights Foster innovation in public sector at all levels of government to enhance delivery of public services, improve efficiency and create positive externalities in the rest of the economy

International Telecommunication Union Applying innovation to address global and social challenges ICTs having large impact on: Policy regime providing flexibility/incentives to address global challenges through innovation in developed and developing countries, and encourages invention and the adoption of cost- effective technologies Spur innovation as a tool for development; strengthen the foundations for innovation in low-income countries, including affordable access to modern technologies

International Telecommunication Union Improving the governance and measurement of policies for innovation ICTs having large impact on: Ensure policy coherence by treating innovation as a central component of government policy Foster evidence-based decision making and policy accountability by recognizing measurement as central to the innovation agenda Enable regional and local actors to foster innovation, while ensuring co-ordination across regions and with national efforts

International Telecommunication Union ICT Development in the Arab region

International Telecommunication Union ICT developments in the Arab region,  Strong growth in mobile telephony over the last five years, from 39% to 100% penetration  Almost all countries have launched a 3G network  Active mobile-broadband subscriptions have increased from 1% penetration to around 13%  Internet usage penetration has increased from 11% to almost 30%  Fixed (wired)-broadband penetration has increased from 0.3 % to 2.2% 13

International Telecommunication Union ICT developments in the Arab region, Strong growth in mobile-cellular subscriptions 14 … Note: 2011 data are ITU estimates ** Data on fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions exclude WiMAX subscriptions Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database

International Telecommunication Union Mobile-cellular penetration (2011)  At the end of 2011, the Arab region reached a very high mobile-cellular penetration: 97% compared to the world average of 87%  There are significant differences in mobile-cellular penetration between GCC countries (173%) and non-GCC countries (76%) 15

International Telecommunication Union Mobile-cellular penetration (2011) Major differences exist within the region 16 Note: 2011 data are ITU estimates Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database

International Telecommunication Union Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions  Between 2006 and 2011, fixed (wired) broadband has grown relatively slowly in the Arab region  At the end of 2011, fixed (wired)-broadband penetration stood at 2.2% (8 million subscriptions compared to 1 million in 2006) in the Arab region, compared to almost 5% in the developing world and 8.5% globally  This reflects to some extent the limited fixed network in the region as a whole 17

International Telecommunication Union Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions Relatively low uptake of fixed broadband Note: Data on fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions exclude WiMAX subscriptions; 2011 data are ITU estimates Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database 2011

International Telecommunication Union Active mobile-broadband subscriptions  Wireless broadband is growing fast in the region, including the deployment of WiMAX and 3G mobile broadband services  Active mobile-broadband subscriptions (48 million in 2011 compared to 3 million in 2007) in the Arab region reached 13% penetration in 2011  Comparing with other regions: 8.5% in the developing world, 10.7% in Asia and the Pacific, and 3.8% in Africa 19

International Telecommunication Union Active mobile-broadband subscriptions Fast-growing wireless broadband 20 Note: 2011 data are ITU estimates Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database

International Telecommunication Union WiMAX and 3G licenses in Arab countries, mid-2011  Strong growth in wireless-broadband uptake is the result of strong increase in operational licenses  Most Arab countries have started to deploy wireless- broadband networks (WiMAX and 3G)  Some of the GCC countries are early adopters (as of 2003)  These are promising developments in view of the relatively low fixed-broadband penetration 21

International Telecommunication Union WiMAX and 3G licenses in Arab countries: mid-2011 Wireless-broadband licensing on the rise 22 … Note: *3G services were not available in 2011 Source: ITU, operators, Arab Advisors Group

International Telecommunication Union Internet users in the Arab region: 2011  In the Arab region, 29% of people are currently using the Internet, compared to 35% globally, 26% in developing countries, 27% in Asia-Pacific and 13% in Africa  These numbers are expected to increase with the growth of wireless broadband 23

International Telecommunication Union Internet users in the Arab region, 2011 Less than 1 out of 3 people are online 24 Note: 2011 data are ITU estimates ** Commonwealth of Independent States Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database

International Telecommunication Union ITU Fixed-broadband sub-basket, 2010  Strong link between ICT uptake and cost of ICT services  ITU ICT Price Basket shows that average cost of ICT services, and in particular fixed-broadband services, in the Arab region is higher compared to other regions (except Africa)  In 2010, the average price of an entry-level fixed broadband package in the region cost the equivalent of 52% of average monthly GNI per capita  Note: these figures are of course influenced by very high prices in a few of the region’s low-income countries 25

International Telecommunication Union ITU Fixed-broadband sub-basket, 2010 Fixed broadband is still relatively expensive for the user 26 Source: ITU

International Telecommunication Union

 Integrate ICT innovative strategies into overall national economic development plans and establish concrete targets to monitor progress  Increase investment in fixed infrastructure  Leverage on wireless technologies to increase broadband Internet access and increase mobile innovative apps.  Make broadband more affordable in line with ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission target 2 (i.e. to cost less than 5% of average monthly GNI per capita by 2015).  Internationally, align the work of the UN agencies towards the creation of and strengthening knowledge societies. SO, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENSURE INNOVATION IS EVERYWHERE?

International Telecommunication Union Thank you for listening