Relevance to Theme: 50% of the world’s population remains unconnected. At the current pace of policy reform and change, the world will be unable to meet the SDG 9c target of achieving universal, affordable Internet access in least developed countries by 2020. It’s imperative to step up conversations for key stakeholders to see the urgency to follow on new strategies to connect those excluded This session will address digital inclusion by focusing on the dynamics for affordability of internet access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and how the aforementioned policy issues affect the conditions under which someone is able to connect to the internet and participate online. We will focus on recent innovations in public investment, such as wholesale open access networks and public access points as well as the policy and regulatory approaches to support market competition.
Relevance to Internet Governance: The session will focus on the policy elements that affect public investment, public-private partnerships, and regulatory environments to boost digital inclusion. The governance of these issues influences who is able to access the internet.
