Germany wants to use its presidency of the Group of 20 major economies to promote fast internet for all, agree common technical standards and promote lifelong digital learning, Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said. Zypries’ comments come ahead of a first meeting of G20 ministers responsible for digital policy later this week in Duesseldorf, ahead of a G20 summit chaired by Germany in July.
Germany wants the G20 to agree to a concrete plan, including rolling out fast internet across the globe by 2025. “The message must be: we are working together to make the opportunities of the digital revolution usable for all and to regulate it through a framework of rules, “Zypries said. He said Germany and Europe were in a good position to take a leading role in the development of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), in which regular objects are connected to networks to send and receive data. By 2020, 21 billion IoT devices will be in use worldwide, up from fewer than 5 billion last year, research firm Gartner has estimated. However, experts argue that the lack of global standards is stopping the sector reach its full potential.
MEANWHILE, Indonesia is pushing for the establishment of a global working committee to facilitate discussions on digital economy concepts and technical solutions at the G20 Digital Ministers Meeting in Düsseldorf. The Indonesian delegation to Dusseldorf will be led by Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara, who said he would highlight the unique digitalization trends happening in Indonesia. The government claims the country is a digital technology success story when it comes to aspects like the sharing economy, workforce digitalization and financial inclusion, with the emphasis being on digital solutions to improve business performance. Workforce digitalization, for instance, is reflected in all-round ordering services like Go-Jek. “After showcasing these merits, we have an action plan that includes workshops and partnerships to implement these ideas. Whoever wants to join us is welcome,” Rudiantara said.
Germany took over the G20 presidency on December 1, 2016. The G20 Digital Ministers Meeting will take place from April 6 to 7.
Reuters/Jakarta Post
