A Mexican and a son of Lebanese immigrants, Carlos Slim Helú is widely known as a successful businessman and a prominent philanthropist. A self-made man, he managed to achieve success in the world of business through investments in a very diverse range of industries as reflected in the portfolio of the Carso Group. América Móvil, currently the leading supplier of telecommunication services (fixed line, mobile, Internet, and TV) to over 290 million subscribers in more than 18 countries in Latin America, is the most prominent example.
Mr. Slim’s interest for technology is long standing. He is committed to the promotion of technologies for development and is currently co-chairing the joint ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development. Mr. Slim’s philanthropic activities and contribution to social and cultural development are as diverse as his business interests, and range from the promotion of arts to support in areas of education, health, employment generation and community development.
“Without a doubt, broadband is the nervous system of today’s new civilization, so broadband access is a top priority for our technological society. It is very important that broadband be a high-quality universal service at a low cost. Because of its health, education and knowledge benefits, among others, governments and regulatory agencies should be strongly fostering broadband development. Broadband is not a gap, but a bridge between developed and developing countries, providing access to all of the services of modern society for the well-being of the population in general.”
