The Introduction Meeting for the National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategy Document and 2020-2023 Action Plan was held under the auspices of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority.
Speaking at the opening of the introduction meeting, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu stated that, since the beginning of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic process, fixed subscribers' monthly internet usage increased by 51 percent and mobile subscribers' by 56 percent compared to the same period last year in the first 3-month period.
In his speech at the Introduction Meeting for the National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategy Document and 2020-2023 Action Plan, Minister Karaismailoğlu drew attention to the world's rapid digitalization and explained that, under the pandemic conditions the world and the country are facing, the importance of information and communication infrastructures has increased even more in the last 6 months.
Minister Karaismailoğlu: We Tracked Instant Changes via USOM During the Pandemic
Pointing out that especially voice and video calls, remote education and remote work applications, video conference meetings, e-health applications, e-commerce, and e-Government applications have become significantly widespread, while social and economic life has become more dependent on information and communication infrastructures, Karaismailoğlu said, "Especially since the beginning of the pandemic process, in the first 3-month period compared to the same period last year, fixed subscribers' monthly internet usage increased by 51 percent, and mobile subscribers' by 56 percent. With our strong communication infrastructure, our operators continue to meet all traffic increases and provide uninterrupted communication to our citizens. On the other hand, we are also producing solutions for the increasing mandatory communication needs of our citizens."
Providing information about the works carried out by the Ministry during the pandemic period, Karaismailoğlu said, "In this way, as the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, we are supporting our students' remote education processes. I would like to emphasize that we will continue to provide free internet packages to our students as needed through our collaborations with Türk Telekom, Turkcell, and Vodafone."
Explaining that they are tracking traffics in real-time via the National Cyber Incident Response Center under the Information Technologies and Communication Authority to ensure the continuity of critical infrastructures such as education, health, banking, and energy in the information and communication infrastructure during the pandemic, Karaismailoğlu stated, "We are also maintaining our surveillance and dominance in our cyber homeland with great sensitivity. In the last 6 months, we have carried out many preventive activities regarding cyber threats involving COVID and corona-themed malicious software and phishing. In this context, 42 malicious software detections related to COVID-19, blocking of 420 command and control centers, detection and blocking of 71 fake video conferencing applications, and detection and closure of a total of 5,879 vulnerabilities related to remote management services and interfaces have been carried out by our National Cyber Incident Response Center teams."
Following the speeches, Minister Karaismailoğlu connected live to the Niğde-Ankara Highway management center and received information.