The ITU’s Broadband Commission released a report, “The State of Broadband Advocacy Targets” [pdf, 6.1MB] as part of its State of Broadband 2025 report series. The report recognizes that “communication services providers and operators have enabled, and helped deliver, years of reasonably consistent economic growth across different countries and economies.”
as gaps in access narrow, the digital divide is taking on new forms. Digital technologies are expanding in scope, scale and influence. Policy-making and regulation have moved on from questions of basic access to telecommunications and Internet to recognize different types of digital divides, such as age and/or gender digital divides, and their implications for access to education, healthcare, e-government services, employment opportunities and participation in the digital economy.
As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Broadband Commission report found strong progress in affordability, with targets having been achieved at the global level. As a result, policy-making is evolving to include new and emerging topics such as digital transformation and AI.
The State of Broadband Advocacy Targets report is intended to inform policy-makers on progress towards the Broadband Commission’s goals. It emphasizes a need to leverage the benefits of digital technologies, mitigating potential risks, while aspiring for equitable access to digital opportunities.
The report also presents an overview of broad industry trends, as well as case studies for the advocacy targets to illustrate how broad trends are playing out in practice. It briefly looks at how different initiatives, policies, platforms and programmes help make a difference in people’s lives through broadband connectivity and services.
The advocacy targets:
- Advocacy Target 1: Make broadband policy universal
- Advocacy Target 2: Make broadband more affordable
- Advocacy Target 3: Get everyone online
- Advocacy Target 4: Promote Digital skills development
- Advocacy Target 5: Increase use of digital financial services
- Advocacy Target 6: Get MSMEs online
- Advocacy Target 7: Bridge the gender digital divide
How is Canadian broadband policy evolving to recognize advances made in Canada’s competitive landscape?