Global Telecom Standards Should Ensure Security, Dignity: PM Modi

New Delhi: There is a need for a human-centric dimension to the ongoing technological revolution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, stressing that principles of security, dignity and equity should be at the centre of global telecommunication standards.

Inaugurating the historic International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 'World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024' in the national capital, PM Modi said that standards set here will determine the direction of the future. “Our goal should be that no country, no region and no community is left behind in this digital transformation,” said the Prime Minister, underscoring the need for innovation balanced with inclusion. “The time has come to accept the importance of a global framework for digital technology. We have to ensure that our future is both technically strong and ethically sound,” PM Modi told the gathering.

PM Modi also inaugurated the 8th edition of the ‘India Mobile Congress 2024,’ saying that while WTSA’s objective is to work on global standards, the role of the ‘India Mobile Congress’ is associated with services and both the events “bring global standards and services on a single platform”.

Discussing telecom sector reforms, the Prime Minister noted India's efforts in lowering data costs. The cost of internet data in India is now as low as 12 cents per GB compared to many countries in the world where one GB of data is 10 to 20 times more expensive.

“Today, every Indian consumes about 30 GB of data on an average every month”, said PM Modi.

Today, the country has a mobile phone user base of 120 crore, 95 crore internet users and digital transactions of more than 40 per cent of the entire world in real-time.

“India had showcased how digital connectivity had become an effective tool for last-mile delivery,” said PM Modi.