Hello ITU Newsletter readers!

“Regulators and policymakers will face new challenges as automated vehicles proliferate our streets. Cross-sector collaboration is essential for globally harmonized ITS standards.” Watch our new The Power of Connected Cars video!

Meanwhile, here are your key ICT trends and insights this week: calls for a ‘Digital Geneva Convention’; India’s record breaking satellite launch; how are sticky drones helping to save the planet?

Spotlight

What are some of the drivers behind ICT industry change? Ericsson’s Aniruddho Basu shares key insights on digital transformation, industry and market evolution, and technology trends and shifts that will shape the evolution of this future network. Watch the live webcast on 22 February 2017 here.

ICT Trends

Microsoft President, Brad Smith, wants a ‘Digital Geneva Convention’ to protect citizens worldwide from the fallout of cyberattacks between nations. The idea was previously broached in the US.

EU and AI: Global headache? By May 2018, the EU will regulate the gathering and processing of user data more closely to further protect citizens’ information, though how this might impact the future development of AI remains to be seen, explains Cisco’s Chief Privacy Officer. Meanwhile, Chinese search engine Baidu continues to push into AI with a new acquisition: Raven Tech.

VC funding: Singapore’s central bank wants to relax venture capital (VC) regulations to boost startup funding, and a USD100 million trust fund recently launched in the country. Meanwhile, Atomico closed a fourth fund with USD765 million, making it one of Europe’s single largest VC funds. And Softbank bought Fortress Investment for USD3.3 billion ahead of launching a USD100 billion VC arm. [Learn how ICT Ministries can support ICT MSMEs and startups]

Join us at ITU Telecom World 2017, the leading ICT event for tech SMEs, corporates and governments, taking place from 25-28 September in Busan, Korea – smart city pioneer in one of the world’s most digitally connected countries. Find out more on how you can take part in the exhibition, debates, networking and awards programme here.

Financial inclusion: TransferWise launched the first international money transfer ‘chatbot’ on Facebook Messenger. As competition in the digital payments landscape intensifies, with close to 2 billion Facebook users worldwide, could similar services support wider financial inclusion? [Read about ITU's work on digital financial inclusion.]

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Cybersecurity: Verizon will now pay USD4.48 billion for Yahoo’s core internet business as the companies agree a USD350 million price cut following security breaches.
Satellites: India successfully launched a record 104 satellites which will image Earth every day, spotlighting India as a major player in the multi-billion dollar commercial space market.
ICT for SDG: Nokia demonstrated LTE-enabled drones to help rescue operations in disaster areas. Meanwhile, the three winning startups of the Digital India challenge addressed infant mortality, lifestyle diseases and urban waste. [Learn about ITU’s #ICT4SDG campaign]
Automotive: Connected cars will soon be on India’s roads. Tata Motors and Microsoft India will collaborate to create cars using AI, advanced machine learning, and IoT capabilities on the Azure cloud. [Watch our new Power of Connected Car video!]
5G: The 5G market will be worth USD582 billion by 2026, according to Ericsson forecasts. And O2 expects 5G to deliver greater economic benefits to the UK economy than fibre-fixed broadband by 2026.
NB-IoT: Telefonica launched its first narrowband IoT project in Chile, providing connectivity management of a telemetry solution for residential smart water meters.

Insights

Coding is the new blue collar job As the middle-class IT job market grows, should we see coding as the equivalent of skilled worker at a car factory? It would change training for programming jobs and who gets encouraged to pursue them - which is a good thing, writes Clive Thompson.

Augmented reality, real world legal issues Augmented Reality gaming is big business, but Pramitha Krishnamurthyprakash outlines some potential legal risks.

Could drones replace bees? Researchers in Japan have developed a prototype solution to help farmers pollinate their crops, writes Dan Nosowitz.

Keep up to date with ITU

UPCOMING EVENTS

- Expert Group Meeting on Telecom & Energy: Collaborating to Power the Smart Grids for Digital Growth; Geneva, Switzerland, 28 February 2017

- 7th Green Standards Week; Manizales, Colombia, 3-5 April 2017

- The Symposium on The Future Networked Car; Geneva, Switzerland, 9 March 2017

- International Girls in ICT Day; Worldwide, 27 April 2017

- New videos! On ITU’s YouTube channel

- Read the latest ITU News Magazine here

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