Broadband Commission calls for people-centred solutions to achieve universal connectivity

More than a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, amid relentless global demand for broadband services, the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has reaffirmed its call for digital cooperation, innovation with information and communication technologies (ICTs), and collaborative approaches to secure universal connectivity and access to digital skills.

The Commission’s flagship State of Broadband 2021, released during the meeting, outlines the impact of pandemic policies and calls for a concerted, people-centred push to close the world’s persistent divide. In the world’s least developed countries (LDCs), no more than a quarter of the population is online.

More than 50 Commissioners and special guests, representing government leaders, heads of international organizations and private sector companies, civil society and academia, affirmed that people-centred solutions must be at the heart of building a sustainable path towards universal broadband.