Hello, ITU Newsletter readers!

Here are your key ICT trends and insights this week: WhatsApp to share user account data with Facebook; Singapore launched an autonomous taxi service; and how will the European Commission’s landmark tax ruling against Apple impact EU/US tech relations?

Spotlight

How can ICTs help provide food security in Africa? USAID hopes that investment from Silicon Valley can help, but what about 'Silicon Savannah'? What role do local entrepreneurs play? ITU News reports.

ICT Trends

Competition: The European Commission has concluded that Ireland gave Apple “undue tax benefits” of up to EUR13 billion. What impact will this have on Ireland and the tech sector?

Digital Finance: Banks may have to move fast to protect their market share from rapidly rising 'fintech' startups. Financial technology groups from 20 cities plan to form a global federation of fintech hubs. Meanwhile, APAC investments in fintech ventures, largely in China, reached $9.62 billion by July 31 and China’s banking industry IT solutions market is expected to hit USD9.2 billion in 2020.

Got #ICT4SDG stories? How is your organization using ICTs to help accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Share your #ICT4SDG stories today!

Roaming in Cuba: AT&T is the latest US telco to sign a roaming agreement with Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) for voice, texts and data. Telecommunication remains a priority sector for ongoing warming of relations between the two countries.

Encryption: French and German interior ministers will push for a Europe-wide law to force operators to provide access to encrypted messages to law enforcement agencies, “whether or not they are based in Europe.” Analysts question if an EU agreement is necessary, or possible.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

WiFi: 23 global operators will work on providing free international public WiFi roaming, claiming that connected cities help improve lives. [Learn about ITU’s Let’s Roam the World and technical guidelines on roaming tariffs.]
Autonomous cars: nuTonomy just launched driverless taxis in Singapore – ahead of Uber’s highly anticipated pilot. [Read the origins of nuTonomy in Dr James Fu’s ITU150 story.]
Privacy: WhatsApp will now share users' account information with its owner, Facebook. US and European regulators are following the move closely.
Business: India's Bharti Airtel has launched a new suite of networking and connectivity services for companies looking to set up shop in India.
Gender gap: Apple, Facebook, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft all signed the White House Equal Pay Pledge for gender pay parity, joining Cisco and Salesforce who signed up in June. [Learn about ITU’s efforts to close the ICT gender gap]

Insights

Bitcoin: a development game-changer? Blockchain’s disruptive potential could change the way business, development and finance are conducted in developing countries, promoting financial inclusion and transparency. But it is not without its drawbacks, as Naki B. Mendoza explains.

Will Africa be the ‘new China’? Africa is embracing mobile technology faster than any other part of the world and may “serve as a classic staging ground for new technologies,” according to Frost & Sullivan.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

- Green Standards Week, Montevideo, Uruguay, 5-9 September

- Global ICT Capacity Building Symposium, Nairobi, Kenya, 6-8 September 2016

- ITU International Satellite Symposium 2016, Bali, Indonesia, 7-8 September 2016

- New videos! On ITU’s YouTube channel

- Read the latest ITU News Magazine here

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