Multi-national, cross-industry body sets out to enhance the impact of global telecommunications and address the disenfranchisement of people without access to telephony services

Paris, September 13, 2011 – Rajeev Singh-Molares, a senior executive of Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext and NYSE: ALU) has become the new chairman of the World Economic Forum 2011 Global Agenda Council on Information and Communications Technology.

The council, one of several within the World Economic Forum Network of Global Agenda Councils, is dedicated to focusing world interest on the global benefits of information and communications technology (ICT) and its application in areas such as financial inclusion, healthcare delivery, education and environmental sustainability.

In particular, the council has been focusing on three key topics: the provision of affordable, ubiquitous broadband access and measurement of its socio-economic value; ensuring global scalability of mobile health and mobile finance to benefit health and wellness via improvements in productivity, cost reduction and knowledge; exploring the wealth creation potential of personal data created via mobile communications while ensuring governance to prevent abuse of the technology.

 “The distinguished members of this council share the passionate belief that access to telecommunications can drive social and economic growth,” says Mr Singh-Molares, who is president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Asia Pacific region, vice chairman of Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell and a member of the Alcatel-Lucent management committee.

With nearly 3 billion people worldwide lacking access to mobile communications, the council has also set out to address ways to improve this situation. “We have a chance to influence change and develop tangible solutions,” adds Mr Singh-Molares. “By 2015 we would like to see everyone provided with internet access, to enfranchising those without, and enhancing their lives as a result”.

In recent years the Council has galvanized awareness for the need for affordable, ubiquitous and interoperable communications. Building on this momentum, the Council will focus on generating a deeper understanding for the importance meeting people’s needs and making informed ICT-related policy decisions.

Established in 2008 the World Economic Forum Network of Global Agenda Councils comprises relevant thought leaders from academia, government, business and other fields on the foremost topics in the global arena.

Editors notes

Further information about the World Economic Forum ICT Global Agenda Council can be found online at:  http://www3.weforum.org/tools/gac/issuebrowser2010/index.html#/3486

Members of the World Economic Forum ICT Global Agenda Council include: Robert Quinn (AT&T), Sanjay Kapoor (Bharti), Peter Gabriel (Real World), Hamadoun Touré (ITU), John Clippinger (Harvard University), Nicholas Nesbitt (KenCall EPZ), Seth Ayers (World Bank Institute), Alex Pentland (MIT), Bright Simons (MPedigree), Scott David (K&L Gates), Simon Torrance (STL Partners), Juliana Rotich (Ushahidi), Yvette Alberdingk Thijm (Witness), Marc Davis (Microsoft), Roman Friedrich (Booz&Company), Rob Conway (VimpelCom), William Hoffman (World Economic Forum) and Rajeev Singh-Molares (Alcatel-Lucent).