The Broadband Commission for Digital Development met on 24 October, 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland, prior to the Broadband Leadership Summit held in conjunction with ITU Telecom World 2011.
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development has agreed on a set of four ‘ambitious but achievable’ new targets that countries around the world should strive to meet in order to ensure their populations fully participate in tomorrow’s emerging knowledge societies.
The New Targets cover Broadband Policy, Affordability and Uptake:
- Making broadband policy universal. By 2015, all countries should have a national broadband plan or strategy or include broadband in their Universal Access / Service Definitions.
- Making broadband affordable. By 2015, entry-level broadband services should be made affordable in developing countries through adequate regulation and market forces (for example, amount to less than 5% of average monthly income).
- Connecting homes to broadband. By 2015, 40% of households in developing countries should have Internet access.
- Getting people online. By 2015, Internet user penetration should reach 60% worldwide, 50% in developing countries and 15% in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
“These targets are ambitious but achievable, given the political will and commitment on the part of governments, working in partnership with the private sector,”
