 | As local and national governments prepare for the challenges of the information society, there is increasing interest in broadband deployment statistics showing which countries are leading, and which are falling behind. Although most existing users are residential consumers, broadband access is being touted as a way for governments to attract investment, ensure future economic prosperity and provide enhanced social welfare. But among developing countries, there is a fear that the huge investments necessary to establish widescale broadband access will open up a new digital divide. This publication - the eleventh in the New Initiatives series - summarizes the main discussion points and conclusions of a workshop on promoting broadband, held in April 2003, while the accompanying CD-ROM contains case studies, background materials, useful broadband links, and extensive analyses of different aspects of the topic. The workshop was organized by the ITU Strategy and Policy Unit, and examined the different strategies that have been followed by different world economies, at local and national levels, for promoting the deployment and use of broadband networks. The key research question was why some economies have been more successful than others and whether this success can be replicated. |
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