Broadband access to the full use of the communications, commercial and social networking capabilities of the Internet is increasingly critical to the economic, educational and social welfare of the World's populace. Peoples in geographical areas without this lifeline resource are suffering, and will increasingly continue to suffer a growing disparity with their 'better connected' counterparts.
It is imperative to get all of the world connected as rapidly as possible in order to reduce the incidence of poverty, ignorance, enslavement amongst those without access. Correcting this inequity would go a great distance toward narrowing the dangerous divide between countries and cultures -- the type of divide that historically has fomented wars.
Broadening broadband would help to reduce many of the dividers between members of the international community which lead to hostilities. And for those of you who are strictly pragmatic capitalists... this would lead to the opening of new markets and labor forces. Simply stated, "How can you reach prospective customers and employees who cannot receive your signal?"
A brief report from some time ago (courtesy of the UN Newswire) cites the United Nations' goals with respect to the proliferation of broadband access.
- UN commission sets new broadband goals
Governments around the world need to ensure half of the world's poor are connected with broadband access by 2015 and that at least 40% of households in developing countries are connected, according to targets set by the United Nations Broadband Commission for Digital Development. The commission calls on governments to work with the private sector to meet the targets. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (10/25)
Douglas E Castle for The Internationalist Page and The Global Futurist.
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