~For Telecommunication Day -- May 17

~For Telecommunication Day -- May 17

checked
;JP;CD;
ANPAd..r..
Telcoms-day-insight

From famous first words to less gadgets

Leo Landep
Contributor/Jakarta
leolandep@yahoo.com

After patenting, it took Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor,
some five years to be able to speak through his earliest
telephone instrument. The famous first words Bell uttered to his
assistant, Thomas A. Watson, in the next room were:"Mr.
Watson ... come here ... I want to see you."

Now we take telephones and connectivity for granted so much
that it would be hard for most us today to imagine the emotions
of both gentlemen then. The cumbersome first model would, for the
younger generation, be a laughable antiquated monster compared to
today's sleek cellular phones.

The major advancements, like infrared, blue tooth and so
forth, would, on the other hand, surprise Bell.

Besides the huge leaps scientifically, today's
telecommunication also poses some dangers, for example, the way
Indonesians recklessly use their mobile phones while driving. Or
the fact that quite a number of teenagers have become so
preoccupied with their phones that they appear to be aloof and,
ironically, out of touch.

While it is recognized that ownership of telecommunication
devices are highly crucial, what is glaring is in fact in
developing countries, like Indonesia, ownership of
telecommunication gadgets are still low, slightly less than 15
percent.

For a country like this one, the government is still expected
to improve the situation, say by providing some kind of subsidy
to providers, which can be used for the low-income segment of
society. This way the ownership of telecommunications devices,
the affordable ones, that is, can be spread around more.

Again, this is in line with what the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) realized in 1985 when it released
the landmark Maitland Report, known as the Missing Link, which
was the first to clearly identify the digital divide among
countries.

Ever since, the ITU has been seriously working to bring the
benefits of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to as much
of humanity as possible.

In 2003, the ITU held its first World Summit on the
Information Society in Geneva and 175 countries endorsed the idea
of universal and affordable access to ICTs.

During the next one in Tunis this November, the ITU members
have selected the theme "Creating an Equitable Information
Society: Time for Action". This is consistent with helping to
improve the capability of impoverished countries.

For the World Telecommunications Day, May 17th, the UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan also emphasized that we now live in
an age in which communications are essential to achieve the
shared goals of development and peaceful coexistence.

Based on partnerships between governments, he also says, civil
societies and businesses, we can create a truly global
information society that will benefit all the world's people.

Alexander Graham Bell could not have foreseen the advances we
have today. And, while he may well be pleased with the
technological progress, the way he pursued his ambitions would
not reflect that he would be entirely happy that still a lot of
people are not able to enjoy the fruits of his invention.