There are about 7.8 billion people in the world, and according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), 3.7 billion of them remain unconnected to the internet. It’s a bit mind boggling to realize in our connected world, that still nearly half the world’s population is without internet. The ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies, and has joined forces with key organizations like NJFX, to help bring connectivity to underserved areas. 

As an essential hub for subsea cables on the US east coast, including direct access to the Havfrue/AEC2, Seabras, TGN1 & TGN2 subsea systems, NJFX also has a high concentration of the terrestrial networks – and combined that all makes up some of the critical telecom infrastructure that powers global communications. 

NJFX just announced that it has received federal approval to become an ITU Development (ITU-D) Sector member and has been officially confirmed to the group.  

“NJFX is proud to be an ITU-D Sector member and bring awareness and expertise to this critical need of getting the rest of the world internet access, wherever they live and whatever their conditions, online. To become a Sector member, we received U.S. Department of State scrutiny and approval. We are appreciative of our membership status with the ITU as they strive to improve access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to underserved communities worldwide.” – Gil Santaliz, NJFX Founder and CEO

Vital Telecom Ecosystem

NJFX currently has some of the world’s largest Tier 1 IP providers colocated at its CLS Campus including Cogent, Lumen (formerly known as CenturyLink), Hurricane Electric, Tata, Telia, Verizon and Zayo. NJFX is also now coordinating with the largest U.S. eyeball networks to deleverage New York and Ashburn for critical content delivery. In addition to providing connectivity where it’s needed, access to content, including to major U.S. financial institutions, needs to be available during times of manmade or natural disasters. Availability has societal benefits and needs to always be a click away.

In November, the global effort will convene for the World Telecommunication Development Conference, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to set the stage for the next phase of objectives in this initiative. Be sure to following the conversation and latest developments on LinkedIn and Twitter.

To learn more about the ITU, click here.