Press conference announcing the launch of the initiative

On June 16, 2005 , Alcatel took a new step to bridge the digital divide by becoming a founding partner of the Connect the World initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) secretary general Mr. Yoshio Utsumi.

The objective of the initiative is to help “connect the unconnected” and thus contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of connecting all communities to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by 2015. At present, ITU estimates that around 800'000 villages — or 30% of all villages worldwide — are still without any kind of connection.

The founding partners of the Connect the World initiative

Connect the World places strong emphasis on the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors, UN agencies and civil society. It has 22 founding partners, including leading international companies, international organizations and government agencies.

This global multi-stakeholder effort established in the perspective of the forthcoming World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) which will be held in Tunis in November 2005, will showcase the many innovative and successful development initiatives already underway. In doing so, it aims to encourage new projects and partnerships to bridge the digital divide.

Connect the World will focus on three key areas of activity, which are considered to be the primary "building blocks" required to reach the goal of connecting all communities by 2015: (i) enabling environment, (ii) infrastructure and readiness, and (iii) application and services. Alcatel will contribute with concrete actions realized under its Digital Bridge Initiative to the last two building blocks.

Based on clearly identified local needs, the Alcatel's Digital Bridge Initiative consists in partnering with local players, associations and other stakeholders, to propose solutions that combine technologies, services and financing. The goal is to reduce the digital divide, while creating strong added value regionally.

Commenting on Alcatel joining the "Connect the World" initiative, Mr. Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO of Alcatel, stated, “Alcatel believes that its Digital Bridge Initiative is a long term endeavor that is both strategic for the growth of its business in developing economies and improves the economic and social well-being of the concerned populations". He added, "This is a true win-win approach".

Alcatel is committed to sharing its long-standing experience in providing innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide , and firmly believes that developing synergies between all actors involved in this effort can make a real difference.

Mr. Yoshio Utsumi and Mr. Thierry Albrand, Alcatel