UN Broadband Commission names eight new Commissioners

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development has named eight new Commissioners, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced April 2, 2012.

They were technology leaders and development champions from around the world, ITU said in a statement adding “leaders will bring fresh impetus to global campaign for ‘broadband for all’”.

The new Commissioners are:Dr Hessa Al-Jaber, Secretary-General, ictQATAR; Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman, Qtel; Dr Saad Bin Dhafer Al Qahtani, Group CEO for Strategic Operations, Saudi Telecom Corporation; Mr Vanu Bose, CEO, Vanu Inc; Mr Innocenti Botti, President, Invitalia; H.E. Jasna Matić, State Secretary for Digital Agenda, Serbia; Dr Armen Orujyan, Founder & Chairman, Athgo Corporation; and Mr Jean-Louis Schiltz, legal counsel, Schiltz & Schiltz & former Minister for Communications, Luxembourg.

“The Broadband Commission is delighted to welcome these global leaders, who will use their talents and their considerable expertise to add fresh impetus to our mission to spread the word about the importance of broadband,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General.

The Commission was launched at ITU headquarters in Geneva in May 2010 in response to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call to step up UN efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is co-chaired by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Mr Carlos Slim Helú, President of the Carlos Slim Foundation, with ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré and UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, serving as joint vice chairs.

By Ekow Quandzie