According to new research undertaken by ITU analysts for Planning for Progress: Why National Broadband Plans Matter,
raw data indicates that countries with a National Broadband Plan have
fixed broadband penetration some 8.7% higher on average than countries
without plans. Once the potential impact of factors like higher average
income per capita, market concentration and urbanization are discounted,
research suggests that countries with plans benefit from fixed
broadband penetration on average 2.5% higher than countries without
plans – a significant margin of advantage in an increasingly
interconnected global economy.
In
mobile, the impact may be even greater – countries which have National
Broadband Plans also have mobile broadband penetration some 7.4% higher
on average than countries without plans.
The
report concludes that market competition also plays a strong role in
boosting broadband penetration. Competitive markets are associated with
broadband penetration levels some 1.4% higher on average for fixed
broadband and up to 26.5% higher on average for mobile broadband.
“The
Broadband Commission’s message about the power of broadband to
transform each and every economic sector is now gaining global
traction,” said ITU Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun I. Toure.
“Governments are realizing that broadband networks are not just vital to
national competitiveness, but to the delivery of education, healthcare,
public utilities like energy and water, environmental management, and a
whole host of government services. Broadband is the key enabler not
just of human interaction, but of the machine-to-machine communications
systems that will underpin tomorrow’s world.”
“Broadband
plans clearly matter,” said Dr Robert Pepper, Vice President of Global
Technology Policy for Cisco Systems. “Plans spur adoption, accelerating
economic growth and increasing national competitiveness. The role of
policy is to set a vision for broadband development and ensure a level
playing field which then allows for the best ideas to prosper.”
The
report also documents strong recent growth in National Broadband Plans,
with 134 plans in force by mid-2013. Plans may take different forms
(legislation, policy frameworks, government strategy and/or
regulations), but all share a common emphasis on the vital role of
broadband in underpinning national competitiveness, and aim to extend
the national footprint of broadband networks and drive increased use of
broadband-enabled services and applications.
The full economic and
social benefits are most likely to be realized where there is strong
partnership between government and industry, and where governments
engage in a consultative, participatory approach to policy in
conjunction with key stakeholders, the report says.