Group items tagged

"he international 'digital divide' is closing as a steady fall in worldwide costs of telephone and broadband Internet services has enabled a number of developing countries to expand their access to information and communication technology (ICT), the United Nations telecoms agency says in a report released today. Measuring the Information Society 2012, produced by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), says that developing countries now account for the "lion's share" of market growth in the mobile sector, according to an ITU press release detailing the report. The report also shows that the ICT sector has not only become a major contributor to economic growth, but is especially so in developing countries, where global exports of ICT goods accounted for 20 per cent of their merchandise trade in 2010, compared to 12 per cent world wide. "While prices in developed economies have stabilized, those in developing countries continue to fall at double-digit rates," ITU stated in a news release on the report. But, ITU said, the digital divide - generally defined as the difference in levels of ICT access between developed and developing countries - remains significant."

'édition des Tendances des réformes dans les télécommunications de cette année contient dix chapitres qui portent sur différentes questions juridiques et réglementaires qui apparaissent avec la généralisation du large bande et le développement de l'économie numérique: 

The report presents the ICT Development Index (IDI), which ranks countries' performance  with regard to ICT infrastructure and uptake, and the ICT Price Basket (IPB), a unique metric  that tracks and compares the cost and affordability of ICT services. This edition also features  new data series and analyses concerning revenue and investment in the ICT sector, and  proposes a new methodology using non-conventional data, to measure the world's  telecommunication capacity.  The past year has seen continued and almost universal growth in ICT uptake. Much of this enhanced connectivity is due to  the rapid uptake - a 40 per cent rise in 2011 - of mobile-broadband subscriptions, to the point where there are now twice  as many mobile-broadband as fixed-broadband subscriptions. The surge in numbers of mobile-broadband subscriptions  in developing countries has brought the Internet to a multitude of new users. The report nevertheless notes that the prices  for ICT services remain very high in many low-income countries. For mobile broadband to replicate the mobile-cellular  miracle, 3G network coverage has to be extended, and prices have to go down further.

The aim of the report is to promote the sharing of best practices adopted by PPP broadband projects, whether they have been used to provide broadband access nationally, regionally, or in rural areas. The purpose of the document is not to focus on the approach followed by any single PPP broadband project, or to promote any one project, but to provide an overall view of the best practices implemented among all the projects. These best practices have been identified as beneficial for future PPP broadband projects, and which, if followed, should deliver successful outcomes.

2022 is a long way off, but key digital developments are already in hand. The current explosion of mobile connectivity will surely exert an influence 10 years from now. Desktops and laptops -- even tablets -- may be hardware of the past, as we access the information stream using voice, gesture, and retinal displays. Immersion in this all-enveloping data field will change the way we work and think. The displacement of information from devices will be reflected in the displacement of the worker from the workplace. Accessing the collaborative environment anywhere, anytime, a nomadic workforce will expect IT to manage the streamlining of data through virtual platforms. As for social media, we're not going too far out on that unpredictable limb. Will Facebook (or perhaps a successor) swallow the Internet whole, locking us into a fully socialized online experience? Or will an adverse reaction set in, driving users back into isolated silos? Of course, what 2022 looks like will be governed in large part by the political and technological foundations of connectivity. Big changes are looming, but innovations in the basic architecture of the Internet -- like software-defined networking -- could be overtaken by diplomatic developments. Member states of the ITU, meeting in Dubai this December, are capable of throwing international network traffic, and even the domain name system, into utter confusion.

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development, in partnership with ITU- BDT, has developed country case studies taking an in-depth look at the state of broadband development in four emerging economies spanning the Americas, Asia and Europe. A series of case studies are being conducted to underline the importance of broadband and ICTs in achieving the MDGs, and to assist countries in meeting the Broadband Challenge and Targets adopted by the Broadband Commission in October 2011. The studies were launched during a special side event held at the WSIS Forum 2012.

High-speed affordable broadband  connectivity to the Internet is  essential to modern society, offering  widely recognized economic and  social benefits (Annex 1). The  Broadband Commission for Digital  Development promotes the adoption  of broadband-friendly practices and  policies for all, so everyone can take  advantage of the benefits offered by  broadband.  With this Report, the Broadband  Commission expands awareness  and understanding of the importance of broadband networks,  services, and applications for  generating economic growth and  achieving social progress.  It has been written collaboratively,  drawing on insightful and thoughtprovoking contributions from our  leading array of Commissioners and  their organizations, foremost in their  fields. This Report is structured around  four main themes which can  help us to realize the potential of  broadband 

Creating a low-carbon economy means transitioning from the energy-intensive physical infrastructure of the 20th century to the innovative, connected, information-based infrastructure that will be the hallmark of the 21st century. Governments that recognize the opportunities broadband offers for addressing a range of socio-economic goals as well as climate action, are making the expansion of affordable, reliable broadband access a key priority, with positive economic results.