Broadband playing increasingly important role in development, says new global report

Broadband technologies are today driving substantial transformation in many development-related sectors including health, education, financial inclusion and food security, making them a key accelerator towards achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says a new report released by the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.
The report, The State of Broadband 2017: Broadband Catalyzing Sustainable Development, has been released just ahead of the Commission’s fall meeting in New York City on 17 September, and amid the UN General Assembly taking place 12-25 September, also in New York.
Issued annually, The State of Broadband report is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country by-country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011.
“Broadband is crucial to connecting people to the resources needed to improve their livelihoods, and to the world achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, who serves as co-Vice Chair of the Commission with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “The goals for education, gender equality and infrastructure include bold targets for information and communication technology. The State of Broadband 2017 report outlines how broadband is already contributing to this and makes valuable recommendations for how it can increase this contribution into the future.”
The report also examines global trends in broadband connectivity and technologies, reflects on policy and regulatory developments, as well as the applications of broadband for sustainable development. It also presents several policy
recommendations.
Promoting investment in broadband connectivity from a broad range of sectors, the report notes, can help achieve the full potential of these technologies and bring the world closer to the goal of an inclusive digital society
accessible by all.