Broadband Commission for Digital Development
Encyclopedia
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development was established in May 2010 as a joint initiative by the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its stated purpose is to promote the deployment of high-speed, high-capacity broadband
connections to the Internet as an essential part of modern infrastructure, with considerable economic and social benefits in countries at every stage of development.
In particular, the Broadband Commission states that broadband networks
are uniquely powerful tools for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were announced by the United Nations in 2000 and have a target date of 2015. The Broadband Commission believes that progress towards the MDGs can be significantly accelerated by using broadband networks to improve the delivery of services across a huge range of social and business sectors.
and Professor Muhammad Yunus
.
, in a meeting in New York ahead of the UN summit on the MDGs. These findings were in a report “A 2010 Leadership Imperative: The Future Built on Broadband,” which includes recommendations as a blueprint for broadband deployment. One of the key messages is that governments and the private sector must work together to create an environment that encourages the provision of broadband to all communities and sustains its use.
The report also emphasizes that a coordinated approach to the deployment of broadband networks must be taken at the national level, so that the full benefits can be gained by all sectors of an economy and society.
The Broadband Commission continues its advocacy work, including in specific areas such as e-government, e-health and e-education that can be delivered by broadband.
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its stated purpose is to promote the deployment of high-speed, high-capacity broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
connections to the Internet as an essential part of modern infrastructure, with considerable economic and social benefits in countries at every stage of development.
In particular, the Broadband Commission states that broadband networks
Broadband Networks
The ideal telecommunication network has the following characteristics: broadband, multi-media, multi-point, multi-rate and economical implementation for a diversity of services [1][2]. The Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network provides these characteristics in today's networks...
are uniquely powerful tools for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were announced by the United Nations in 2000 and have a target date of 2015. The Broadband Commission believes that progress towards the MDGs can be significantly accelerated by using broadband networks to improve the delivery of services across a huge range of social and business sectors.
Membership
In addition to its chairs and vice-chairs, the Broadband Commission has 54 Commissioners from around the world. They represent governments, relevant industries, academia and international agencies concerned with development. They include well-known figures such as Professor Jeff Sachs, Dr Vinton CerfVint Cerf
Vinton Gray "Vint" Cerf is an American computer scientist, who is recognized as one of "the fathers of the Internet", sharing this title with American computer scientist Bob Kahn...
and Professor Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Peace Prize...
.
Activities
In September 2010, the Broadband Commission presented its initial findings to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
, in a meeting in New York ahead of the UN summit on the MDGs. These findings were in a report “A 2010 Leadership Imperative: The Future Built on Broadband,” which includes recommendations as a blueprint for broadband deployment. One of the key messages is that governments and the private sector must work together to create an environment that encourages the provision of broadband to all communities and sustains its use.
The report also emphasizes that a coordinated approach to the deployment of broadband networks must be taken at the national level, so that the full benefits can be gained by all sectors of an economy and society.
The Broadband Commission continues its advocacy work, including in specific areas such as e-government, e-health and e-education that can be delivered by broadband.