Since its inception in 2010, the UN Broadband Commission has united global leaders from industry, policy circles and academia in a mission to connect the world. Today, almost half of the world’s population uses the Internet for many purposes, including education, entertainment, civic engagement and e-commerce, while nearly a third use social media. According to recent statistics, the milestone of half the world’s population online will soon be reached, representing a momentous achievement.

Recent years have witnessed the transformation of the telecom sector, with digital technologies now permeating nearly every aspect of our lives, society and the economy. The digital economy is generally understood as an economy driven by digital technologies. Historically, it has also been equated with the Internet economy, web economy, new or sharing economy. Deloitte defines the digital economy as “the economic activity that results from billions of everyday online transactions among people, businesses, devices, data and processes”.

In January 2018, at its Special Session at the Annual General Meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Broadband Commission extended and updated its existing five broadband targets to a total of seven targets. This report consider progress across all seven targets. Policy analysis and targets can play a significant role in informing, shaping and influencing policy priorities at the national and regional levels — for example, Viewpoint 11 describes how policy analysis has helped concretize policy thinking and priorities, from the perspective of the Government of Rwanda.

It is clear that mere access to infrastructure is not enough, no matter how high-speed or sophisticated. How broadband applications and services and data are used — and for which purposes — is becoming vitally important for development, and for achieving the SDGs and the promise to “leave no one behind”.

Every year, the Commission makes a number of policy recommendations aimed at improving broadband networks and services.