Chakwera, ITU chief discuss costly digital divide
President Lazarus Chakwera on Monday met International Telecommunications Union (ITU) secretary general Doreen Bodgan-Martin to discuss Malawi’s strides towards universal access to digital solutions slowed by high cost of Internet and smartphones.
During the closed-door meeting at the fifth Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Qatar, the President called for greater support for weak economies struggling to leapfrog the digital divide and catch up with their peers using the fast-turning technological advancement to their advantage.
Chakwera was accompanied by Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu and Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (Macra) director general Daud Suleman.
He expressed worry that a majority of people in LDCs, including Malawi, are unable to beat poverty and digital inequalities due to poor connectivity and the high cost of Internet and devices.
“Malawi understands the need for strong partnerships with organisations such as ITU to make digital transformation a reality,” said Chakwera.
Bodgan-Martin said universal connectivity can spur a positive revolution in LDCs, but the main focus should be on reducing the costs.
“The world already has network coverage, but connectivity remains low due to high data and device costs and lack of local content, including e-government services,” she said.
Kunkuyu confirmed that the high cost of data and devices as well as lapses in cyber security featured highly during the talks at LDC5.
On his part, Suleman said ITU has worked with Malawi on several initiatives, including developing the national strategy to protect children’s rights online, guidelines for electronic waste management and Macra’s computer-aided emergency response team to combat cybercrime.
