World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2017 observed

May 17: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

The 2017 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) was observed on 17 May 2017.

The theme for WTISD-17 is Big Data for Big Impact. The theme focuses on the power of Big Data for development and aims to explore how to turn imperfect, complex, often unstructured data into actionable information in a development context.

The theme for WTISD-17 is in line with ITU's work highlighting the technological developments that have facilitated the emergence of Big Data, developing standards related to Big Data and identifying sources and uses of Big Data, including use of Big Data technologies for developing and monitoring improvements in information societies.

Background

• The purpose of WTISD is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies can bring to societies and economies.

• 17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union.

• World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973.

• In November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society called upon the UN General Assembly to declare 17 May as World Information Society Day.

• The General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/252) in March 2006 stipulating that World Information Society Day will be celebrated every year on 17 May.

• In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.