ESOA and the Sustainable Development Goals – making a difference

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals set a clear vision for the future: a world of equal opportunities; a world that is taken care of; a world of inclusion and partnerships. No single solution holds the key; success will only be achieved if more people are connected thanks to more collaboration and more solutions being deployed where needed.

During the event, ESOA members exemplified the difference satellite connectivity makes for the economies and lives of ITU member countries and their citizens. As stated in the newly published Broadband Commission Report, “the ubiquity, reliability, mobility, and improved capability of new satellite and high altitude technologies make them ideal solutions both for expanding the reach of the Internet to rural and remote areas and for contributing new capabilities and applications in urban and suburban areas, to help fully realize the vision of the smart society.”

Still, no matter what the strengths of any individual technology, ambitious goals like the SDGs can only be achieved through true collaboration between technologies and stakeholders and by putting the citizen and his needs at the center of the debate. All stakeholders have a role to play and no person, country or technology should be left out. Satellite operators already contribute to many of the 2030 objectives, making the world a better place by giving people and organizations access to the modern, digital world.