The World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) has laid emphasis today on equitable and sustainable development of information and Communication Technology networks and services worldwide in its Hyderabad declaration. The Hyderabad Action Plan that has been adopted by the WTDC after 10-day deliberations in the pearl-city has stressed the importance of five-programmes to improve access and affordability to ICT networks and services worldwide. Addressing a press conference on the concluding day, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dr Hamadoun Toure said rolling out of next-generation networks (NGN) and increased access to broadband services, wireless technologies and the Internet would be catalysts to achieve the global development goals. Stating that Emergency Telecommunications would play key role in disaster management, he called upon the member countries to address the wide broadband divide that remained a cause of concern even as the world approaching the 5 billion mark in mobile telephony. Secretary to Department of Telecommunications and the Chairman of the Conference P J Thomas said India has already adopted the programmes of the action plan as broadband facilities are being extended to 50,000 villages in the next 3 years. He also said the Government would co-ordinate with the private sector for improving affordability of the ICT services. He added that the Hyderabad declaration would play a decisive role in the development of the ICT sector across the world, especially in developing countries. The Hyderabad Action Plan included the Development of Information and communication infrastructure and technology, Cybersecurity, Enabling environment, Capacity-building and digital inclusion and Least developed countries, countries in special need, emergency telecommunications and adaptation to climate change.