World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2020: History, significance and all you need to know

Image used for representation only (Courtesy: Pixabay)

New Delhi: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated every year on May 17 to help raise awareness about the importance of the internet and other means of information and communication in bringing the world closer. The day marks the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. WTISD is being celebrated annually since 1969.

The United Nations (UN) celebrates WTISD every year with a unique theme and this time, it is 'Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)'.

First, it was only celebrated as World Telecommunication Day, but in March 2006, the General Assembly adopted a resolution stipulating that World Information Society Day too shall be celebrated every year on May 17.

In the current scenario, when the world is reeling under the coronavirus pandemic, communication plays a very important role in delivering the correct information, helps us connect to our loved ones. Life seems to be incomplete without the internet and communication.

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted to say, “On the World Telecommunication Day, I would like to appreciate the efforts made by each and every employee of telecom and Internet service providers for rendering uninterrupted services to the people of India despite facing the constraints posed by lockdown.”

On the #WorldTelecommunicationDay,
I would like to appreciate the efforts made by each and every employee of telecom and Internet service providers for rendering uninterrupted services to the people of India despite facing the constraints posed by lockdown. — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) May 17, 2020

As we mentioned earlier that 2020’s theme is 'Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)', let’s take a look at the themes for previous years:

2019: Bridging the standardization gap

2018: Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All

2017: Big Data for Big Impact

2016: ICT entrepreneurship for social impact

2015: Telecommunications and ICTs: Drivers of innovation

2014: Broadband for Sustainable Development.