12.06.2014 - Despite their potential for providing public Internet access and other social, financial and government e-services, the world has fallen short on connecting all post offices with information and communication technologies (ICTs).
According to 2012 data collected by the UPU among 81 responding countries, covering 174,493 post offices out of a global 640,000, 31% of post offices have broadband Internet access, yet only 10% provide public Internet access, states a final report submitted this week at a high-level meeting in Geneva to review progress being made on the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005.
The goal to connect all post offices with ICTs, alongside public libraries, museums and national archives, is one of ten targets.
“The actual achievements in expanding broadband access to post offices do not always match the postal network’s potential for providing Internet access to the public,” notes the report, which signals an “untapped potential”.
It further recognizes the importance of expanding broadband Internet in post offices to support financial and digital inclusion in many communities, especially underserved ones, as well as helping governments to provide e-services and small and medium business enterprises to sell their goods more easily.
“Posts are important national infrastructures for social, economic and digital inclusion,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein at the Geneva event, where he reminded policy-makers of the global postal network’s reach and capacity to bridge important gaps in the information society.
As letter-post volumes decline and Posts go through a radical period of transformation, he added that the UPU was prioritizing its activities linked to e-commerce, financial inclusion and trade facilitation, which are reliant on an efficient information society, he added.
“We are at the forefront of providing services to billions of customers around the world, and technology is playing a fundamental role,” said Hussein.
Source : http://news.upu.int/
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