Special Session of the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development co-organized with the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, World Economic Forum and International Telecommunication Union at Davos
Designing the finance and investment model for the future roll-out of broadband is critical, if we are to unleash the power of broadband to deliver transformative solutions to the development goals of our day, through its potential to bring about change in the nature of almost every act of production and consumption, whether public or private, including the delivery of vital public services such as education, health and culture. It is essential that appropriate steps are taken to encourage investment in broadband networks, as well as specific interventions with a positive impact in broadband investment. This Special Session addressed the following questions:
- Is the current public-private investment model sufficient and/or sustainable?
- How can finance and investment models evolve to meet the exponential growth in data and to meet the development imperative for full digital inclusion?
- Can regulation keep pace with fast moving technological change?
- Should Over-the-top players (OTTs) contribute through revenue share to the cost of building Broadband network to rural and remote areas of the developing world?
- Would a level regulatory playing field help encourage investment in broadband networks?
