China Appears Most Likely Choice to Host WRC in 2027
The World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 appears increasingly likely to be held in Shanghai, WRC watchers told us. The ITU Council is meeting this week in Geneva, where a decision will be made on the location and timing of the next WRC. China has made a strong bid to serve as host (see 2505090039), which could complicate U.S. participation. The only other country to offer to host the WRC is Rwanda.
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Holding the event in China would make U.S. attendance nearly “impossible,” said a former NTIA official. “Geneva is really the only other option,” but the Swiss apparently haven't offered to host, the former official said. “I hear it’s going to be in China, and it’s kind of the only real option,” said a longtime delegate to past WRCs. Industry observers have cited security and communications issues as key reasons why many U.S. participants would be reluctant to travel to Shanghai, especially federal officials. Scott Harris, managing partner of Crest Hill Advisors, said in March (see 2503180062) that a WRC in China is “guaranteed to be a disaster for the United States."
Meanwhile, at the council meeting Tuesday, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin delivered a “state of the ITU” address, where she briefly mentioned the next WRC. The ITU Radiocommunication sector “has been very busy implementing the outcomes of WRC 2023, with technical studies already underway to prepare for the next WRC,” she said, noting the strong satellite focus of that conference.
The internet “has become the engine of our global economy,” Bogdan-Martin said. “Today, two-thirds of the world’s population are connected,” and access to devices is “almost universal,” with 80% of people older than 10 owning a mobile phone. But she also pointed out that people in high-income countries have 5G coverage, while those in poorer countries don't. Fixed broadband can cost up to a third of a family's monthly income in the least-wealthy nations, she said. “These disparities are unacceptable in a world where digital underpins essentially everything that we do.”
Highlighting the ITU's continued growth, Bogdan-Martin cited its 194 member states with more than 1,000 sector members and close to 200 academic institutions. “From the telegraph to the telephone to the internet to artificial intelligence, the ITU’s evolution has never stopped.” The group is now working with the U.N. on a global discussion about how AI can be used for good, Bogdan-Martin said.
An American, Bogdan-Martin was elected ITU secretary-general in 2022 by a wide margin, but she's up for reelection next year. She became the first woman to head the ITU and the first American since 1965 (see 2209290044). Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday called on the ITU to reelect her. “Under her guidance, the ITU has helped develop global tech standards, improved oversight, increased ITU-private sector partnerships and worked toward secure digital connectivity.”