ITU Launches Global Platform to Strengthen Telecom Networks Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Telecommunication networks have never been more critical to public health, economic resilience, and social connectivity than during the COVID‑19 pandemic, says Houlin Zhao, Secretary‑General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). To support governments and industry in meeting the unprecedented demands on global networks, I have directed ITU to deploy its regulatory and policy‑maker platform without delay.

We face a shared responsibility: providing health workers worldwide with the communication tools they need, enabling remote work, sustaining e‑commerce, ensuring uninterrupted education for millions of children, and keeping people connected across borders.

The platform ITU is rolling out will equip national policy‑makers, regulators, and industry stakeholders with proven best practices and real‑world initiatives developed during the COVID‑19 crisis. By compiling reliable data and expert guidance, it offers actionable insights for maintaining network resilience and universal access.

The new Global Network Resiliency Platform (#REG4COVID) is available here.

For countries still grappling with network stability, the platform delivers timely, vetted information—from emergency spectrum reallocations to consumer‑use guidelines—allowing rapid adaptation to evolving pressures. While initially an informational tool, it will soon evolve into an interactive hub for ongoing collaboration during this crisis and beyond.

Our current challenges demand solidarity.

We must remember the millions worldwide who still lack internet connectivity. As the UN’s specialized agency for information and communication technologies, ITU has long championed universal, reliable, and affordable connectivity, and we remain committed to achieving it for all.

I invite ITU members—public and private alike—to join forces in building the most effective platform possible, so that information and communication technology can help defeat COVID‑19 and strengthen our global community.

The author is Houlin Zhao, Secretary‑General, ITU.