12 July 2018: The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development’s Working Group on Broadband for the most vulnerable countries launched its report on the role of high-speed internet in helping Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to overcome vulnerabilities, grow economies and enhance people’s livelihoods.

The report titled, ‘Broadband for National Development in Four LDCs: Cambodia, Rwanda, Senegal and Vanuatu,’ was launched on 12 July 2018, during a meeting of the National Focal Points of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the margins of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

The report draws on the experience of four LDCs – Cambodia, Rwanda, Senegal and Vanuatu – and is organized in four main sections covering: infrastructure; affordability; demand and use; and impacts across several sectors, including the economy, government, health, education and rural livelihoods.

“Narrowband services,” such as text messages in the health and agricultural sectors and mobile money, can contribute to improved livelihoods.

Noting the four countries’ “considerable” success in expanding infrastructure and improving affordability of broadband, the report outlines, inter alia: Rwanda’s efforts to build a 4G/LTE wireless broadband network that is expected to cover 95% of the country’s population in 2018; Senegal’s effective use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to achieve broadband access for all; Vanuatu’s initiative to achieve 98% broadband coverage by 2018; and Cambodia’s low mobile internet prices, considered to be some of the least expensive in the world.

The report also highlights the role of “narrowband services,” such as text messages in the health and agricultural sectors and mobile money, in contributing to improved livelihoods.

The report concludes that while all four countries have made notable gains in broadband coverage and affordability, the full impact of these services for a large section of their populations is yet to be realized. Discussing some of the challenges that LDCs still face, the report highlights: the relatively recent introduction of mobile internet in these countries; limited resources among governments to invest in both digital training for their staff, and in broadband applications and services; slow development of local e-businesses due to limited access to capital and the lack of supportive laws and business services for entrepreneurs; and the lack of good models demonstrating how information technology can best be incorporated at large scale for tackling the unique challenges of low-income nations.

The report presents 11 recommendations aimed at expanding access and unlocking the full development potential associated with the use of high-speed internet. The recommendations cover, inter alia, strengthening digital literacy, making broadband and smartphones more affordable, and delivering relevant local content and applications.

The UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, a joint initiative by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was established in 2010. Chaired by the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (OHRILLS), the Commission comprises more than 50 leaders from a range of government and industry sectors who are committed to actively advocate for and support countries, UN experts and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fully leverage the power of broadband-based technologies for sustainable development in key areas such as education, healthcare and environmental management. [ITU Press Release] [HLPF Side Event Webpage] [Publication: Broadband for National Development in Four LDCs: Cambodia, Rwanda, Senegal and Vanuatu] [Website of the Working Group on Broadband for the Most Vulnerable Countries]