The Asian Pacific Training Center for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) was set up in S. Korea in 2006 as a regional institute of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP). The role and the mission of APCICT Korea is to close information gaps between different nations and to buoy up the efforts of the 62 ESCAP member and associate member countries to capitalize on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their socio-economic development through human resources, and institutional capacity building.
The 61st Commission session of UN ESCAP, held back in 2005, had decided to run APCIT Korea for five years from June of 2006 to May of 2011 and then to examine the performance of APCIT Korea in order to determine whether it should continue to exist beyond the deadline date. As the final year 2011 draws near, discussions on the fate of APCIT Korea is likely to take place at the 66th UN ESCAP Commission Session, slated to be held in Songdo International Business District, Incheon.
APCICT Korea
Based on the results of demand surveys of ESCAP member nations, APCICT Korea has developed and localized a variety of ICT programs and enhanced educational effects by utilizing online lectures. Member nations' ICT policy coordinators have been invited to S. Korea and Korean ICT experts also have paid visits to ESCAP member nations, educating approximately 4,600 people via workshops or online lectures.
As of now, a growing number of nations, intent on achieving national development through reinforced ICT human resources, are requesting the export of APCICT Korea's programs. Henceforth, to meet the high demand, APCICT Korea's education services will be upgraded- for example, country-specific ICT education textbooks will be developed.
At the 4th APCICT Governing Council, held back in November, 2009, member nations unanimously upheld the idea of permanently establishing APCICT Korea. In addition, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has pledged continued support for APCICT Korea.
Giga Internet
As a global ICT champion, S. Korea prides itself on its 50~100 Mbps broadband convergence network that stretches across the nation. The ICT behemoth, however, wants more than this. Having in mind the continued advancement of network technologies and growing demand for better services, the Korean government is keen on the introduction of Giga Internet, which can efficiently accommodate high-quality, high-volume converged contents.
The maximum speed of Giga Internet is one Gbps, enabling users to download a one-hour long DVD movie in about 10 seconds. Therefore, the broadcasting of three-dimensional media content, multi-angle IPTV, and HD home CCTV, which the existing Internet environment has been unable to handle, can be made possible on Giga Internet. At the moment, trial services are offered to 1,000 households and, by 2012, Giga Internet services will be commercialized nationwide through the development of both technology and Giga-level service models.
