Since 2012, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has provided a high-level platform to advocate for policies that advance the deployment of broadband infrastructure and the adoption of high-speed communications applications and services that advance economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability. In addition, a number of recent and current Working Groups of the Commission have researched related topics such as the use of ICT in epidemic management, innovation measures on financing and investment, and digital learning, among others.

Measuring the economic and social impacts of broadband for the 2030 Agenda

The economic literature on the positive contributions of broadband to growth continues to expand with recent analysis adding to the picture. Various methods of economic analysis are demonstrating economic impact and these different methodologies include cost-effective analysis, econometric analysis, cost-benefit analysis, social returns on investment, and multi-criteria analysis.

Over the past five years, network operators have invested over USD 900 billion in capital expenditure, reducing the number of individuals living outside of mobile broadband coverage by close to 1 billion. And over the next five years, operators will invest an additional USD 1.1 trillion in their networks globally, with close to USD 250 billion in the Asia Pacific and USD 50 billion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Investments by other players are also having an impact. For example, Analysys Mason’s recent analysis of the economic impact of network infrastructure investments by Facebook in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa points to positive economic contributions of more than USD 200 billion in economic growth in these regions over the next five years, including contributions from operator partners. Similarly, as a result of Google’s more than USD 2 billion in network infrastructure investment in the Asia-Pacific region since 2010, Analysys Mason estimates over 1.1 million additional jobs were created and USD 430 billion in aggregate GDP growth between 2010 to 2019.

Similarly, a joint research project between Imperial College and Ericsson, covering data from 135 countries, has shown that a 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband (MBB) adoption ratio causes an average 0.8 per cent increase in GDP. The effect from MBB is considerably larger and more significant in low-income and non-OECD countries compared to high-income and OECD countries.

This means that there is considerable potential for low-income and non-OECD countries to leapfrog their economic development by investing in MBB infrastructure.

Broadband connectivity and the climate emergency

As countries around the globe have banded together over the past year to address the existential threat that COVID-19 has levied on humanity, another significant global problem is demanding at least a similar level of effort and cooperation. The planet’s changing climate will particularly affect low-income populations, and digital technologies and the broadband ecosystem are positioned to make an outsized contribution to addressing the climate emergency both by helping to build resilience to climate stresses through the use of digital technologies, as well as by demonstrating leadership and investment in commitments to reach net zero, and beyond, in terms of carbon emissions.

GSMA recently highlighted how digital and mobile-enabled solutions can address climate change specifically in seven dimensions: enabling clean energy and energy efficiency; improving mobility and logistics; improving natural resource management and forestry; improving agriculture; managing water solutions; improved waste management and circular economy solutions; and increased disaster preparedness and effective response.

Satellite technology produces massive amounts of climate-related data used by government agencies such as the European Space Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, weather patterns, vegetation health, melting of glaciers and polar ice, bleaching of coral reefs, ocean acidification, changes in wildlife migratory patterns, and many other environment indicators. Satellites not only monitor the global environments but technological innovations such as miniaturization of sensors, high-speed data transfer, and upgraded storage capacity have revolutionized climate science.

A people-centric approach to universal broadband approaches

In addition to loss of life, a major impact of COVID-19 continues to be the sheer extent of shock to livelihoods and the number of people who are experiencing short-term and long-term poverty because of the pandemic. The latest forecasts by UNDP, updated from last year whereby UNDP estimated the total number of people living in extreme poverty could reach over 1 billion by 2030, is that without ambitious countermeasures, at least 41 million more people may live in extreme poverty in low and medium human development countries by 2030.

ITU’s report “Pandemic in the Internet age” details a range of actions and policies that can be implemented by participants in the broadband ecosystem to leverage high-speed digital infrastructure that goes beyond simple recovery from COVID-19. These include specific actions focused on: addressing the digital divide, driving digital deepening, effecting digital transformation, and building digital resilience.

Putting individuals at the core of strategies to build up digital infrastructure and progress towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda requires concerted effort to internalize the heterogeneity of individual situations and the complexity of the challenge of global connectivity at a worldwide scale.

This includes moving beyond mindsets focused on technological fixes, building into the consciousness a primary focus on user issues limiting adoption based on socio-demographics, skills, affordability, relevance, content and trust. An effort to coordinate and direct funding to efforts that address the most pressing challenges of the unconnected is required, and this includes allowing for innovations in business models, technologies, policy and regulations, and financing and partnerships.

Conclusion

While the year marker set for achieving SDG9c has come and gone (“to significantly increase access to information and communication technology (ICTs) and strive to provide universal and affordable access to Internet in LDCs by 2020”), the global community still has an opportunity to effectively leverage broadband and adoption of high-speed digital infrastructure to achieve significant progress towards the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. To do so, however, requires concerted effort in line with the various recommendations presented by the Broadband Commission in previous editions of the State of Broadband, as well as other Working Group and research reports.

This includes:

  • Ensuring public confidence in participating online in the digital economy by increasing efforts to prevent cybercrime and cybersecurity incidents in ways that also protect individual privacy;
  • Increasing funding levels and addressing issues of fragmentation (of funding, legislative and regulatory frameworks, investment and distribution) and coordination across regions, government levels, and between public and private sector entities in order to achieve universal broadband adoption;
  • Supporting and engaging in innovative partnerships that leverage the unique strengths of each participant in digital infrastructure in order to translate roadmaps and action plans into concrete achievement;
  • Addressing environmental impacts of digital infrastructure and unleashing the potential of connectivity to make an outsized contribution to addressing the climate emergency both by helping to build resilience to climate stresses through the use of digital technologies, as well as by demonstrating leadership and investment in commitments to reach net zero, and beyond, in terms of carbon emissions; and
  • Employing a people-centric approach, with a focus on individuals and inclusivity in order to ensure no one is left offline.
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Broadband Commissioner Insights

Insights are written by current Commissioners to provide their personal perspective on the global state of broadband. Each year, Commissioners submit their views to be reflected in the annual flagship report. The views expressed in these contributions are those of the Commissioner and do not reflect the opinion of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development..

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