World Telecommunication Day 2023 Date: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) observes World Telecommunication Day, or World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, on May 17. The day emphasises how the Internet and other communication platforms have impacted society. Many regions of the world continue to have connectivity-related issues. The ITU makes an effort to close this gap. 

 

World Telecommunication Day 2023: Theme

The theme of World Telecommunication Day 2023 is “Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies”. The celebration will be held at the International Telecommunication Union headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 

 

World Telecommunication Day History 

World Telecommunications Day, initially known as International Telegraph Union Day, was first marked on May 17, 1969, to commemorate the ITU's foundation. The first International Telegraph Convention was signed on May 17, 1865, in Paris, establishing the ITU. In 1932, it adopted the name International Telecommunication Union, and in 1947 it was designated as a specialised agency of the United Nations.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution in March 2006 designating May 17 as World Information Society Day. The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference combined the two days into one holiday in November of that same year, naming it World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

 

World Telecommunication Day 2023 Significance 

The ITU, through the "Partner2Connect" Digital Coalition, calls on the public and private sectors to commit to the digital transformation and universal connection in the least developed countries on World Telecommunications Day.

 

World Telecommunication Day Quotes 

  • “Intuition becomes increasingly valuable in the new information society precisely because there is so much data” - John Naisbitt

  • “The fantastic advances in the field of electronic communication constitute a greater danger to the privacy of the individual.”― Earl Warren

  • “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”― Rollo May

  • India is an important market for Ericsson, not only as a telecom market but also as a global hub for R&D —Hans Vestberg