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for the "Birth of Broadband Report"
As local and national governments prepare for the challenges of
the information society, there is much interest in who is doing
well, and who is doing poorly, in broadband Internet access.
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 wide-scale broadband
access will open up a new digital divide.
This workshop examined the different strategies that have been
followed by ITU Member States, 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.
The topic "promoting broadband" was selected on the
basis of priorities expressed by ITU Member States and Sector
Members. This and other topics in the New Initiatives series are
chosen on the basis of a regular questionnaire sent to all ITU
Member States and Sector Members.
Workshop objectives
In April 2003, the ITU Secretary-General convened a small group
of policy-makers, broadband service providers, telecommunication
regulators, academics, and various other experts, serving in an
individual capacity, to discuss the best ways to promote broadband
deployment and use around the world. Through these discussions, the
workshop attempted to identify the characteristics of successful
broadband deployment that can be used by other governments,
especially in developing countries, in establishing their own
broadband policies.
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