The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015, to be marked on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (17 May), being held this year with the theme "ICTs as the drivers of innovation".
It was on 17 May, in 1865, that the International Telegraph Union was founded and the first International Telegraph Convention was signed. The ITU, as the Union was known from 1932, became a specialist agency of the United Nations in 1947 and is the world's oldest intergovernmental organisation.
Since 17 May (Official Day) is a Sunday, in Portugal, celebrations will take place on 18 May, led by FPC - Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações (Portuguese Communications Foundation). In addition to an institutional session, a number of exhibitions will be inaugurated and a special activity programme held for schools (to be announced shortly by FPC).
In particular, the day will see inauguration of the exhibition "The submarine cable in a sea of connectivity", which has been organised by ANACOM in conjunction with FPC. The exhibition has been granted the High Patronage of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Portugal and will be open to the public at FPC from 19 May 2015 until 30 April 2016.
The role of submarine cables has been crucial to the development of communications over the years. Portugal's geographical location, coupled with a capacity for innovation, makes it an important landing point for international systems; this has given the country a prominent role in the global network of submarine cables since 1870, promoting and facilitating communications between continents, and helping to unite the communities linked by these cables.
From the past to the present, this exhibition gives a view of the future, showcasing current research in the optical communications industry, and relating historical aspects of the technology. The exhibition focuses on the technological, economic and social impacts of global communications, particularly in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Consult:
- Exhibition ''The submarine cable in a sea of connectivity'' https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1356968
Further information:
- Dia Mundial das Telecomunicações e da Sociedade de Informação http://www.fpc.pt/~/Eventos/tabid/278/ModuleID/1184/ItemID/44628/mctl/EventDetails/language/pt-PT/Default.aspx#.VVHsGPCE5lV
- O cabo submarino num mar de conetividades http://www.fpc.pt/Museu/Exposi%C3%A7%C3%B5esTempor%C3%A1rias/tabid/131/ctl/Details/Mid/653/ItemID/44979/Default.aspx#.VTYsYfAnhrM
- ITU's 150th Anniversary http://www.itu.int/en/150/Pages/default.aspx
- WTISD 2015 http://www.itu.int/en/wtisd/2015/Pages/default.aspx
