World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is celebrated every year on 17 May to highlight the importance of telecommunications and information technologies in modern society. This date is an opportunity to demonstrate how much the Internet, mobile networks and digital communication have changed the way people work, learn and communicate with each other. Modern technologies have enabled faster exchange of information, connecting people around the world and easier access to knowledge and various services. At the same time, this day reminds us of the importance of digital literacy and the need for all people to have equal opportunities to access modern technologies.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an organization that deals with the development of information and communication technologies worldwide. By celebrating this day, we reaffirm our commitment to promote innovation, safe use of the Internet and the importance of technology for the progress of society.

This year marks the 161st anniversary of the founding of the International Telecommunication Union, back on 17 May 1865, when twenty European countries signed the first International Telegraph Convention in Paris. The International Telegraph Union was founded on the same day, becoming the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1932 and gaining, shortly afterwards, the status of a specialized agency of the United Nations it has today, with the task of encouraging the development of telecommunications across the globe.

Serbia was among the first countries to join the International Telegraph Union and has been continuously participating in the work of all international bodies in the field of telecommunications ever since.