Broadband: A Platform for Progress Major new report highlights the impact of high-capacity connectivity A report by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development – June 6, 2011

The aim of the new report is to look in detail at what broadband is, why it is so valuable in driving economies and societies forward, and
how these networks can be created.
Significant policy issues are considered too, along with an overview of the status of broadband around the world.

“…..The Internet has revolutionized our way of life. Even with access at low speeds, it brings connectivity and knowledge in a way that could hardly have been dreamed of a few years ago. Since technology is advancing so fast, the Commission decided not to define broadband as a specific speed; rather, the report defines it as always-on (not needing the user to make a new connection to a server each time), and high-capacity: able to carry lots of data per second. The result is that broadband enables the combined provision of voice, data and video at the same time.

Nowadays, some 30% of people worldwide are Internet users. The extent to which broadband in particular has grown is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 (see page 2). In developed countries, around half the population has mobile broadband and about a quarter has fixed (wired) broadband. In developing countries, however, the figures are a small fraction of these, at 5.4% for mobile broadband and 4.4% for fixed (estimated, end 2010)….”

Social effects of broadband

Broadband networks are, of course, pointless without connectivity — not simply to objects, but to people, in every community around the globe.
The report looks at the essential role of broadband in the creation of ‘Knowledge Societies’, which are based on the principles of freedom of expression; universal access to information and knowledge; respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, and high quality education for all.

Efforts to create such societies include ensuring that Internet access becomes easier for people with disabilities. The report notes the need for well-trained personnel — especially among women and girls, who tend to be on the wrong side of a digital divide. The global roll-out of broadband networks offers vast potential for development. Stated simply, without broadband, progress towards the MDGs will be seriously hampered….”

“……When the telephone was invented in the 1870s, having just one of these devices was obviously useless: there needed to be at least one other person able to answer a call at the end of a line in order to exploit the potential of the technology – which expanded exponentially as more and more subscribers joined networks, revolutionizing communications.

The same could be said today about broadband access to the Internet. While broadband already delivers many important services to an increasing number of individuals, institutions and businesses (as indicated in this report), its full potential is gained when the “tipping point” is reached and a high enough proportion of a population (as well as industrial and administrative processes) is connected.

This allows many existing functions to migrate to the much more efficient broadband platform, while also offering a wide range of valuable – and sometimes literally vital – new services to be delivered.

The ICT industry and telecommunications providers play an essential role in the success of broadband deployment. Most of the investment for broadband is likely to come from the private sector, not only for infrastructure, but also for contents and innovative services that will benefit society. Therefore, policy makers need to engage with industry and investors to guarantee that their political vision can be achieved.

The challenge that remains to be answered is how to extend broadband to areas and communities that are not commercially profitable – and so help achieve the level of coverage that allows a whole nation to make a “broadband leap forward”. Ways in which governments, regulators and industry can reach this goal have been outlined in this report….”

Content:

Chapter 1 – Introduction and Executive Summary

Chapter 2 – What is broadband?

Chapter 3 – Why is broadband important?

Chapter 4 – Content, creativity and capacity building

Chapter 5 – What can broadband deliver?

Chapter 6 – How broadband can be deployed

Chapter 7 – Policy and regulatory issues

Chapter 8 – Broadband for the future