ITU reveals ‘smart’ guidelines plan to further universal broadband access

The ITU has used the forum of the Global Symposium for Regulators in Armenia City, Colombia, to outline its proposals to usher in a set of best practice guidelines to further the deployment of broadband services around the globe. The body hopes that the implementation of more focused, smart regulation will put the internet into the hands of a greater number of people and facilitate an industry sector that is constantly evolving. Commenting on the plan, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure said: ‘Increased access to the internet – and broadband in particular – will allow us to more effectively deliver services to meet the Millennium Development Goals, as e-applications such as e-health, e-education, and e-governance are able to reach even the remotest corners of the world.’ However he went on to warn that such goals could only be met ‘when broadband becomes more affordable’ noting that regulators across the globe could help with this by backing plans to increase both capacity and competition in their local markets.