ITU wants mobile operators worldwide to quickly deploy IMT-Advanced based mobile broadband network. In addition it is also urging governments to slash or even abolish onerous taxes on ICT equipment and services that could stifle the future growth of the mobile sector.

“If we are to translate the ‘mobile miracle’ of the past decade to wireless broadband, we need to take full advantage of the faster speeds IMT-Advanced will bring, ushering in the next exciting wave of innovation through creative new applications and services,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General. 

Dr Touré also warned against unfair taxes levied on ICT goods and services by governments hoping to take advantage of the buoyant state of the technology sector. Dr Touré will be making his case for rapid broadband mobile roll-out coupled with a more rational approach to ICT taxation in a keynote speech to Chief Regulatory Officers at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona on Saturday 25th March.

ITU recently officially endorsed the two selected technologies that will form the basis of IMT-Advanced next generation high-speed cellular broadband. LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced both qualified as IMT-Advanced-compliant, capable of supporting speeds of 1 Gbit/s while stationary and 100 Mbit/s while in motion.