Kingdom Participates in Virtual Meeting of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development

His Excellency the Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, participated in the meeting of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, held virtually this evening, with the attendance of telecommunications and information technology sector leaders from various government, international and private entities, to discuss ways of harnessing technology to combat the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

During the meeting, His Excellency the Governor delivered a speech in which he expressed the Kingdom's keenness and commitment to combating this pandemic and taking precautionary and preventive measures, across all sectors playing a pivotal role in this crisis, including the telecommunications and information technology sector.

Dr. Al-Tamimi noted that secure connectivity has today become an important requirement, in light of the adoption of remote work procedures and social distancing measures taken by most countries. He explained that the Kingdom has witnessed, over the recent short period, growing demand for telecommunications and information technology services, which was reflected in an increase in data consumption reaching 33%.

He also affirmed that the Kingdom has taken early measures to harness technology in the service of many social and economic fields, most notably providing telecommunications and information technology service providers with additional frequencies, issuing guidelines and policies to facilitate remote work in government entities, providing free access to educational and health platforms, and activating delivery service applications and electronic payment solutions while requiring compliance with health measures.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commission issued a statement affirming the importance of coordinating and integrating efforts to achieve goals that include facilitating access to technology, ensuring its continuity, and protecting its infrastructure.