 Last year, in 2015, we celebrated ITU's 150th anniversary, reaffirming its reputation worldwide as one of the most resilient and relevant organizations devoted to connecting the world with the most innovative means of communication. As we celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society 2016, marking the establishment of ITU on 17 May 1865, we continue to look to future advances in communications. We focus our attention this year on ICT entrepreneurship for social impact. The ICT sector is amongst the most profitable and successful globally. It has revolutionized the way the world communicates. Billions of people have now been brought into the Information Society in a remarkably short period of time. We are now in an increasingly smart networked environment in compassing cloud computing, big data, and new applications in diverse areas ranging from health to finance while moving towards a future of smart transport systems and cities. With the advances in infrastructure and connectivity, new services and applications will grow along with the potential for many innovative smaller players to enter the market with solutions to address local needs. ICT entrepreneurship is set to bring about significant social impact. We need their expertise, innovation, and investment to achieve our common goals of sustainable economic and social development. Small to medium-sized enterprises, startups, and technology hubs are the drivers of innovative and practical solutions for catalyzing progress, especially in developing countries. SMEs make up more than 9% of all businesses worldwide and represent a path out of poverty for many developing countries. As a specialized agency of the United Nations dealing with state-of-the-art telecommunications and ICTs, I call upon our partners, governments, industry, academia, and technical experts to promote the role of small, young, and innovative firms in the ICT sector. Encourages the spread of digital social innovation, prioritizes economic policies which promote innovation, ensures the availability of a necessary human capacity, supports the establishment of comprehensive, entrepreneurial ecosystems, as well as assists entrepreneurs in moving from idea and innovation to sales and revenue. Let's put our resources together to harness the catalytic role of ICTs in achieving sustainable development and delivering economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental balance.