With the presence of the Colombian Deputy Minister of Communications,
Daniel Medina Velandia; the Economic and Commercial Counselor at the
Embassy of France, Frédéric
Nehetal; the Commissioner of the National Television Commission (CNTV),
Ricardo Galán; the World Bank Regional
Coordinator for Latin America, Eloy Vidal; the Director of the
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (CRT), Cristian Omar Lizcano
Ortiz; the Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean of the
ITU, Juan Zavattiero; and the Executive Director of CINTEL, Manuel
Martinez Niño, concluded the XXIII National
and XIV International Telecommunications Congress Andicom 2008.
For three days, from October 29th to 31st,
2008, at the Convention Center of Cartagena de Indias, nearly 3,000
attendees from different regions of the world discussed on how
technology generates welfare and builds future in lectures and debates.
In the closing ceremony, the Executive Director of CINTEL, Manuel Martínez
Niño, ratified the invitation to France as
the guest country of Andicom 2009. Also the winners of the Fifth
Marathon of Programming and Wireless Mobile Applications Comcel-NOKIA,
were awarded during the ceremony. The first place went to the Catholic
University of Colombia, with the group e-NeuroX and the implementation
NeuroX Eearth.
In his closing speech, which outlined the conclusions of Andicom 2008,
Martínez said that under the theme
Technology: Creating welfare and building the Future, was possible to
confirm that ICT today represent a powerful tool for the integral
development of society, increasing the level of competitiveness of the
communities that use them.
"Indeed, the reason behind technology is to provide welfare to society
through solutions and services in areas such as health, education,
business, research and entertainment, among others," he added.
Conclusions
Economic and social development of the nation has an important
interdependence with ICT, which accelerates the progress to a more
fair society. In this regard government online, health and education
are key elements in achieving this goal.
Knowledge is a key element in modernizing the productivity and
competitiveness of citizens, the development of creativity allows the
transformation of this knowledge into productive services for a
society that is evolving, and that in few years will be very different
of how we know it today.
Businesses, as the basis of national production, should acquire the
skills needed to function in the new knowledge economy. For the most
developed societies the exportation of knowledge has become one of the
most important components of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
A massive and transversal change in the use of ICT is accompanied by
universal access to public services, as well as access to training and
digital learning.
All productive sectors in the country should treat with urgency the
use of ICT as a critical tool to generate competitiveness and
development.
A significant advance in respect to digital socialization has been
done but, there are still major challenges: all citizens connected and
informed, the strengthening and modernization of institutions with
citizen-centered services and the development and competitiveness of
the ICT industry.
Today communication between people is changing. The power to express
ideas to the world is available to everyone, in different but on a
larger scale, giving the opportunity to share information and
knowledge regardless of the time, place or device used.
It is necessary to work on the connectivity infrastructure in the
region so that it can be provided global coverage with greater
capabilities, and quality service.
The convergence of technology and the speed with which it comes to
Latin American countries, demands agility and innovation in the design
of institutional policies, and a neutral regulation that protects the
user, allowing the growth of the sector and encouraging the provision
of services.
The accelerated technological development leaves new challenges and
opportunities in developing markets, business models, new services and
attention to new users.
About CINTEL
The Colombian Telecommunications Research Center, CINTEL, has set as its
fundamental mission to promote and foster the development of
Telecommunications and Information Technologies. CINTEL members include
telecommunications operators, universities and government agencies. The
board is chaired by the Colombian Minister for Communications.
Among its goals it is to study and assimilate the emerging technological
tendencies with the purpose of divulging and analyzing their
implementation; to offer open spaces to all sector actors in order to
discuss and analyze economical, market, social, political and
technological aspects that can affect or influence the industry
development; promote the development of projects of the sector’s
interest; provide specialized technical assistance and divulge the state
and tendencies of telecommunications in the country and the world. For
further information, check our web site www.cintel.org.co
Telecommunications Research Center-CINTEL
Phone: + 57 1 635
3538
Olga Garcés. Project Professional –
Journalist
Ext. 166. Mobile + 57 315 6023539
E-mail: ogarces@cintel.org.co
or
Amilde
Frías, Project Professional –
Journalist.
Ext. 143. Mobile + 57 3002160717
E-mail: afrias@cintel.org.co
or
Susana
Velásquez, Project Professional –
Journalist
Mobile + 57 317 7700207
E-mail: svelasquez@cintel.org.co
or
Eduardo
Rodríguez, Communications Consultant
Mobile
+ 57 300 2132592
E-mail: edurod@cintel.org.co