UN meet to speed up broadband roll-out

New York, Sep 22 (IBNS) A United Nations meeting to speed the roll-out of broadband communications around the world opened in Colombia on Thursday with representatives of 192 countries seeking to share regulatory best practices at the global level.

"With enhanced use of ICTs (information and communications technologies), citizens can access the information society and the global wealth of knowledge that fosters a new generation of social and economic productivity," the Chairman of the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Lizcano Orti'z, told delegates in the city of Armenia.

The GSR aims at fostering constructive exchange of information among national regulatory authorities and is a unique forum to share regulatory best practices at the global level, with the focus on innovative regulatory measures to address the complexities and challenges of the broadband ecosystem.

"New market realities and the trans-sectoral dynamics of broadband call for smart regulatory approaches based on coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders."

ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Brahima Sanou said, noting that remarkable achievements have been made over the last 15 years that have placed the telecom sector and ICTs at the centre of today's digital economy.

He stressing that more needs to be done to connect the unconnected, increase digital literacy and ensure developing countries are not excluded from the digital economy and the broadband world.

"Thanks to the Internet and broadband a wealth of new opportunities can now be offered almost instantaneously to citizens throughout the world, removing the barriers of time and distance," he said.