World Information Society Day – May 17, 2024

History of World Information Society Day

World Telecommunication Day was first celebrated on May 17, 1969. It’s to mark the founding of the International Telecommunication Union and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. In March 2006, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed May 17 annual World Information Society Day. In November 2006, the I.T.U. Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both telecommunication day and information society day on May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

I.T.U. is a specialized agency of the United Nations in charge of things related to information and communication technology. Being the oldest U.N. agency, it was established as the International Telegraph Union. At first, I.T.U. was aimed at helping connect telegraphic networks between nations. I.T.U. later adopted the name International Telecommunication Union in 1934 due to its expanded responsibilities over radio and telephone. I.T.U. agreed with the United Nations to become a specialized agency in the United Nations System on November 15, 1947, which came into force on January 1, 1949.

I.T.U’s based in Geneva, Switzerland, and its global membership includes 193 Member States and around 900 international and regional organizations, companies, and universities. Its work involves allocating global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, developing technical standards, and improving access to I.C.T. for all underserved communities. Besides, I.T.U. does work for amateur radio, radio astronomy, broadband, wireless technologies, and next-generation networks. We are benefitting from I.T.U’s work, such as making phone calls via mobile, accessing the internet, and emailing.