UN wants broadband everywhere

Pie in sky?

[tangor]

Freedom to communicate is a human right – as is having a broadband connection, the UN said today. The global organisation, usually hell-bent on achieving world peace, argued that it would be quite nice if 60 per cent of the world had access to the net by 2015.

Governments should lift taxes on ICT services and free up radio frequency spectrum to fuel an expansion of networking, the UN recommends in its Broadband Challenge (2-page/185kb PDF) issued on Tuesday. Businesses should work out some smarter business models and the prices should come right down, the international law and security outfit declared.

The UN reckons that the target is ambitious but achievable.

[theregister.co.uk...]

We think the web was already headed downhill with scraper/scammers. What would it be like by 2015?

[incrediBILL]

If those places only had electricity to power internet devices to use the internet...

[Habtom]

We think the web was already headed downhill with scraper/scammers.

Considering just the negative side of that, come on, you don't mean that.

[tangor]

Considering just the negative side of that, come on, you don't mean that.

True... though I just go through clearing my inbound from Third World unwanteds...
And who would pay for it?
And who could afford it?
And the electrical comment above is very appropriate.

All well and good to make pronouncements, but entirely something else to put in place a sustainable infrastructure. Much less any political considerations. Nothing negative about it. :)

HOWEVER, if there was a MARKETPLACE and FREE TRADE (ie. Capitalism) which powered that pronouncement, it would be a very good thing. I've always hankered for direct access to ePurchase Red Wooly Widgets from Upperlower Elbonia direct from the local source via UNgoogle. :)

[Old_Honky]

Broadband a Human right? Come off it.

The UN really has nothing better to do than come up with this rubbish?

I don't think human rights exist as intrinsic entities, they are made up by groups of people and vary according to where you happen to live.

Human rights in Somalia are a little different to those in Chelsea.

The UN should concentrate on making sure the "human right" to have enough to eat is universal before giving a toss about broadband. Starving people have little interest in the internet.

They could start by encouraging people to stop having so many children, and trying to repatriate people out of areas which are never going to be productive agriculturally, into places where they have a better chance of growing enough to feed themselves.

Don't hold your breath though.

[vik_c]

Broadband a Human right? Come off it.

I agree. To consider broadband a human right is far fetched when over a billion people don't have sanitation facilities and clean water.

Nevertheless, this is a positive development. In India for instance, we have 100 million internet connections and 900 million phone connections. The gap can narrow and when it does, every country will benefit. USA and Europe will have a huge market for their products and services. Supply chain management in India can become easier, cost of living can reduce, middlemen can be forced out, inflation can be managed better. If the phone has so much penetration, there's no reason why the internet shouldn't. With voice recognition, even the illiterate can use the internet. The cost of educating the masses can reduce substantially with videoconferencing and broadcast. Literate people can contribute to the economic growth in production and as consumers. What applies to India will apply to most developing countries. Less than a week ago the Indian government announced a $4 billion plan to connect villages with Internet access. This would work well if there is political will. Unfortunately, in developing countries like India, many plans get stuck due to corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and red tape.

[incrediBILL]

Broadband a Human right? Come off it.

I would think clean water, vaccinations, and that all time elusive thing called FOOD would be on the top of their list.

[Habtom]

True... though I just go through clearing my inbound from Third World unwanteds...

The 10 Worst Spam Countries

[spamhaus.org...]