Prime Minister Najib Razak has been named by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as one of the three eminent personalities who have contributed to the ongoing digital

revolution.

He joined chairman and chief executive officer of China Mobile Wang Jianzhou and Internet pioneer Robert Kahn.

They were awarded the 2010 ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award in recognition of their dedication to promoting ICTs as a means of providing a better life for humanity.

NONE The awards were announced on the closing day of the annual session of ITU's Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

The ITU, which marks the 145th anniversary of its establishment on May 17 this year, said the award would be presented at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China on May 17.

In making the announcement, ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Toure welcomed the three eminent laureates who have contributed to connecting the world through the Internet and the mobile phone and in making cyberspace a safer place for users everywhere.

"On the 145th anniversary of ITU, it is my pleasure to honour those who have made this possible through their foresight and commitment to harness the potential of ICTs to make the world a better place.

"ICTs have been instrumental in paving the way for a better future, increasingly dictating lifestyles and behaviour patterns, contributing to the growth of trade and commerce, improving governance and municipal services, and revolutionising entertainment through the development of rapid communications," Toure said.

Connectivity a Najib’s priority

According to ITU, Najib has made connectivity one of his priorities.

"As part of the New Economic Model for Malaysia, he has placed a high priority on strengthening ICT infrastructure. His administration has supported the work of ITU in strengthening global cyber security through the IMPACT Centre in Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur," it said.

Wang is executive director, chairman and CEO of China Mobile, which operates the world's largest mobile network with over 500 million subscribers.

    

The China Mobile network covers all major cities in China as well as outlying and remote rural areas.

Kahn, president and CEO of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), played a key pioneering role in the development of the Internet as he laid the foundations of the TCP/IP protocol architecture, which is a standard operating feature of the Internet.

CNRI is a non-profit organisation that focuses on the strategic development of network-based information technologies and Kahn has continued to nurture the evolution of the Internet, steering the development of new standards.

- Bernama