ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology (ICT) issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For nearly 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate change and strengthening cybersecurity.
The ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for facilitating and enhancing access to infrastructure and information and communication services, in particular in developing countries. It assists countries in strengthen their institutional and organizational capability to adapt to the rapidly changing telecommunication/ICT environment and in facilitating the mobilization of technical, human and financial resources needed for their implementation, as well as in promoting access to ICTs.
With the growing recognition of ICTs as a driver for social development and economic growth, there is a need for reliable, comprehensive and comparable statistics to support government and industry decisions. ITU is recognized all over the world as the main source of internationally comparable data and statistics on telecommunication/ICT.
The Market Information and Statistics Division of the BDT is responsible for collecting, harmonizing and disseminating more than 100 statistical indicators from over 200 economies worldwide. The data are maintained in the ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (WTI) database, which includes time series dating back to 1960.
- Statistics on telecommunication/ICT infrastructure and access are collected annually through two questionnaires sent to ICT ministries and telecommunication regulatory authorities; these include indicators on the fixed telephone network, mobile cellular services, Internet/broadband, traffic, revenues and investment;
- Statistics on household and individual access to, and use of, ICTs are collected annually through a questionnaire sent to national statistical offices (NSOs); these include the core ICT indicators developed by the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development;
- Statistics on the price/tariff of telecommunication/ICT services are collected annually through a questionnaire sent to ICT ministries and telecommunication regulatory authorities; these include prices on fixed telephony, mobile cellular prepaid and fixed (wired) broadband Internet services.
Other key activities of the Division are:
|
|
Disseminating data included in the WTI database, through the website (ICT Eye), printed publications (such as the Yearbook of Statistics), CD-ROM, and by electronic download; Read more: |
 |
|
|
Developing international standards and methodologies on ICT statistics, in close cooperation with other regional and international organisations and bodies, including the UN, Eurostat, OECD, and the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development; Read more: |
 |
|
|
Analyzing telecommunication/ICT trends and producing regional and global research reports, such as the Measuring the Information Society Report and the World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report; Read more: |
|
|
|
Benchmarking ICT developments and clarifying the magnitude of the digital divide (through tools such as the ICT Development Index and the ICT Price Basket); Read more: |
 |
|
|
Contributing to the monitoring of internationally agreed development goals and targets, such as the Millennium Development Goals and the targets agreed at the World Summit on the Information Society; Read more: |
 |
|
|
Organising meetings and events, including the annual World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Meeting; Read more: |
 |
|
|
Providing capacity building and technical assistance to Member States in the area of ICT measurement through training courses and hands-on manuals. Read more:
|
 |
Contact details:
Market Information and Statistics Division
Telecommunication Development Bureau
International Telecommunication Union
website: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/
e-mail: indicators@itu.int