​The Republic of Korea through the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) will host ITU Telecom World 2017, which will take place from 25-28 September in the city of Busan.

With a proven track record in hosting major ITU events from ITU Telecom Asia 2004 to the Plenipotentiary conference in 2014, together with a highly advanced ICT infrastructure and cutting edge work in fields such as smart cities, IoT and 5G, Busan provides an outstanding venue to host ITU Telecom World 2017.

"The Republic of Korea has been a terrific partner of ITU for many years," said Houlin Zhao, ITU's Secretary-General. "Busan will be a great setting for ITU Telecom World 2017 to continue our mission of promoting cross-sector partnerships in ICTs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals."

ITU Telecom World 2017 will include an international exhibition, which will showcase new technologies for everything from smart cities to 5G, IoT, automation, AI and more. The event will also feature the Forum, which will feature high-level discussion to highlight the technologies, policies and strategies driving our digital economy forward and working to meet the SDGs, including dedicated sessions connecting governments, leading tech players and innovative SMEs and start-ups.

A key and popular part of ITU Telecom World will be the ITU Telecom World Awards. They recognize excellence and innovation in ICT solutions with social impact from SMEs and corporations alike. Another highlight of ITU Telecom World is the high number of networking opportunities with senior government, business, and academic leaders in the ICT community. The networking enables delegates to informally connect with each other, share ideas and form beneficial partnerships.

At ITU Telecom World 2017 in Busan, MSIP will showcase its long-term vision for the role ICT will play in its creative economy, with a focus on business and government targets and concerns, including technology demos, debate and business matchmaking. The city of Busan will showcase its innovative, large-scale smart city project and its dynamic local SMEs to the event's global audience.

ITU warmly invites Member States, regulators, and heads of international organizations, digital experts and visionaries, leading ICT corporations and cutting-edge ICT SMEs from the region and across the globe to save the date and prepare to join us at the event. And remember, it's not too late to join us at ITU Telecom World 2016 which will take place in Bangkok from 14-17 November 2016.