Telecommunication Union has declared that terrestrial radio services are important to the connection of 2.7 billion people that unconnected.
The union noted that terrestrial radio services had helped connect many communities across the world.
According to ITU in a post, terrestrial radio can help connect the farthest corners of the planet, build digital resilience worldwide, and ensure that technology’s transformative potential is shared sustainably and equitably.
It said, “Terrestrial communications and digital transformation go hand in hand. Whether on land, at sea, or up to 50 kilometres above our heads, terrestrial radio services have helped connect countless communities across the globe, empowering them with opportunities to thrive now and into the future.
“As we strive together to connect the remaining 2.7 billion amid a shifting technological landscape, terrestrial radio remains a key part of the equation.
“From mobile broadband access through high-altitude platforms to the lifesaving disaster alerts at the heart of the Early Warnings for All Initiative, terrestrial radio can help us reach the remotest corners of our planet, build digital resilience worldwide, and ensure that technology’s transformative potential is shared sustainably and equitably.”
In 2022, the United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies disclosed that 2.7 billion people remain unconnected to the Internet. It stated that 5.3 billion people worldwide were connected to the Internet.
It noted that 40 per cent of the population in Africa was online, far from the global average of 75 per cent.
According to definitions online, terrestrial radio is the means through which radio stations reach their audience and may be analogue or digital.
It is all the technologies used to broadcast content over short to long distances using radio waves.