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the traditional tele- supply a wider or larger band-
phone. Why? You wave for a specific environ-
are limited in terms ment through optic fibres or
of spectrum on the fixed lines, which give you
wireless side, while broadband access. Of course,
there are other wireless is advancing as well,
opportunities if you and the comparison of services
have both applica- now is amazing: you can no
tions. When satelli- longer separate telephone from
tes first came in, television, from video, from
there was a question electricity. An electricity com-
whether micro- pany can be a telecommunica-
waves would stay -- tion provider today because
they are still being you can transmit electro-
used. All technolo- magnetic signals through elec-
gies are comple- tric wires. This is changing the
mentary. whole economy.

Q: So you would Q: Is it true that with the
encourage the Internet the world has beco-
developing world me a global village?
engagement in terms of fair to install more telephone
competition that are so lines? The global village is a good
attractive for foreign invest- feeling but also a challenge.
ment. They also look at aspects No, that is not the case. The The challenge is providing
of new technologies as they clear example of what is hap access to people everywhere
appear and their application for -pening in the developing and, at the same time, creating
communication,
wireless an environment of security in
world was Cambodia in 2000,
mobile telephones, wireless where the number of mobile cyberspace. National and inter-
Internet and, of course, all their subscribers surpassed the num- national laws need to be har-
implications in terms of crime, ber of fixed telephone lines for monized and coordinated in
spam, etc. The World Summit the first time in any country of order to ensure that we are all
on the Information Society the world. That was because of tackling this phenomenon toge-
came with -- as far as I'm the regulatory environment that ther.
concerned -- two major tasks had been created. Nowadays,
for ITU, which I intend to there are more countries like Q: What are you hoping to
pursue. One is building the this. In fact, there are 2.5 billion achieve during your four
infrastructure necessary for telephone users in the world years at the head of ITU?
bridging the digital divide, and today, of whom 1.5 billion are
the second is security in mobile subscribers. If you ana- The ITU Plenipotentiary
cyberspace. lyse this, there are many inter- conference in Antalya, Turkey,
esting aspects. This is the first where I was elected in
Q: You said that you wish to time that you have new November, has given us a very
build up the infrastructure. Is services within a neutral clear mandate. By 2009 we are
it not more expensive to environment based on global supposed to organize a policy
install traditional telephone competition. At the same time, forum to ensure that the world
lines than to encourage peo- the technology in itself was is a better and safer place.
ple to use mobile networks? appropriate because the private Between now and then, I am
nternatona telecommunications issue. "prepaid". One of the biggest security together. ITU is well

sector came up with an
working to ensure that we
Mobiles are part of an evolving
tackle the problem of Internet
innovatory solution -- such as
Mobile users often have fixed
problems for fixed telephone
placed to do this as we are the
telephones as well, to which
only place in the world where
lines is that to be able to
all parties talk to each other
you may connect new devices.
subscribe you need an address
Whenever a new technology
and a bank account. This is no
about these issues -- even those
longer the case.
holding different points of
comes along, it does not mean
useless. There is still room for
6 1 2007 Diva that the old one is completely It may only be possible to view.

v nternationat.