2015 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

CELEBRATING THE WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY, TODAY SUNDAY MAY 17, 2015

        

         

Today Sunday May 17, the global community is celebrating the 2015 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD). In November 2006, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) during its plenipotentiary conference held in Antalya, Turkey decided to celebrate both the World Telecommunication Day and World Information Society Day collectively on a day instead of celebrating them separately or individually; on that note, they called on the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare May 17 of every year as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.   

         

May 17 was chosen owing to the fact that it marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is aimed at raising awareness on the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can yield powerful societies and economies, and also help to bridge the digital divide.

        

Telecommunication can be defined as the science and activity of sending signals and messages over a long distance, by the use of electronic or electrical equipment such as radio, television, telegraph, telephone, computer, cable, and satellite. The word/term is often used in its plural form – telecommunications, because it involves many different technologies.

        

Telecommunication occurs when the exchange of information between two entities includes the use of technology. Communication technology uses channels to transmit information as electrical signals, either over a physical medium such as signal cables, or in the form of electromagnetic waves. Ancient means of communicating over a distance included visual signals namely, beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags and optical heliographs.

        

A revolution in wireless communication began in the first decade of the 20^th century with the pioneering developments in radio communications by Guglielmo Marconi who won the Nobel prize in Physics in 1909. Other highly notable pioneering inventors and developers in the field of electrical and electronic telecommunications include Charles Wheatstone, Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, Edwin Armstrong, Lee de Forest, John Logie Baird and Philo Farnsworth.

        

Telecommunication, which is one of the major factors that constitute an information society, has obviously contributed immensely towards nation-building. Indeed, the impact of telecommunications on the social, economic and political development of any country in existence cannot be overemphasized. Telecommunication has helped tremendously in so many areas of human endeavour including information dissemination, easy access to news reportage, education, politics, creation of awareness, advertisement, entertainment, and most importantly job creation and entrepreneurship development.

         

The availability of telecommunication has enabled people irrespective of age or status to easily access information even in their bedroom. The recent introduction of the social media, which could be access via smart phones, has succeeded in boasting several personal cum business activities which were formally done on a low pace with the use of the old telecommunication systems such as television, radio, et cetera.

        

The provision of the visual satellite dishes has also helped people from all walks of life to greatly appreciate the use of the television, either domestically or industrially, as a result of its ability to access every facet of the globe at all times. To say the least, the transmission of visual signals with the aid of the television has assisted profoundly in marketing of goods and services.

        

The impact of telecommunication on education has become so enormous that it cannot be expressed on a sheet of paper. Of course the various distant learning programmes, which are increasing on a daily basis, wouldn’t have been possible without the telecommunication system such as the internet. More so, the series of educative programmes, soap operas, and what have you that are being run by the various television stations across the country can also be included as one of the avenues that have encouraged distant learning.

          

As regards politics, the telecommunication has recently proven to the citizenry that they can as well observe any electoral activity such as voting and counting of election results, from their respective homes without stepping out of their premises. This measure has helped to eradicate some electoral malpractices and crises, thereby uplifting transparency.

         

It is no longer news that millions of Nigerians are currently employed by various telecommunication companies that are operating in the country. Statistics show that over fifteen percent (15%) of Nigerian citizens are engaged with the telecommunication firms. Suffice it to say that, the telecommunication industry is one of the major employers of labour in Nigeria alongside other countries across the globe.

        

Though the telecommunication technologies play a very vital role in the information society and economic development of any nation, but it is also noteworthy that, there are several anomalies needed to be addressed in the said sector. A situation whereby uncensored films, pictures or music, are disseminated either on the television or the social media is totally unwholesome to the state of any nation, and must be looked into severely and in earnest.

          

As the world commemorate the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, I call on the incoming law makers to enact a strict and formidable law that would address the various ongoing abnormal and immoral acts taking place in the telecommunication sector. Against this backdrop, a law that would assign a capital punishment to anyone found guilty of any unacceptable activity regarding the sector would be a way forward, hence would go a long way to introduce sanity in the system. Think about it!

FRED DOC NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056