Message from the Secretary General
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
One hundred and twenty-five years of service is a remarkable milestone for any organisation. For the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), this anniversary is not merely a celebration of longevity; it is a testament to resilience, relevance, and continuous adaptation in a world transformed repeatedly by technological change.
Bernadette Lewis Secretary General Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
The CTO traces its origins to the Pacific Cable Board of 1901, a pioneering partnership among Commonwealth nations that established the first trans-Pacific submarine telegraph cable. This landmark achievement helped shrink distances between continents, revolutionised communications across the Commonwealth, and laid the foundations for an increasingly connected world. Over the decades, that vision of cooperation through connectivity evolved into what is today the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation—a unique institution dedicated to enabling collaboration, capacity building, and technological advancement across its membership. The story of the CTO is, in many respects, the story of modern communications itself. From its origins in the age of telegraphy, through the development of wireless communications, the rise of computing and the internet, and into the present era of artificial intelligence, the Organisation has navigated successive waves of innovation. Its continued existence across multiple industrial and technological revolutions speaks to an enduring ability to evolve while remaining faithful to its core purpose: helping nations harness communications technologies for development, prosperity, and inclusion.
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