Investing in Infrastructure: Bridging the Broadband Divide in the Developing World

摘要

Wireless growth in developing countries has been explosive in the past five years. More than half of all telephone subscribers in the developing regions of Asia and the Pacific as well as Africa use wireless; for most, their cellphone is their first and only phone. However, the outlook for the fixed network is much less promising. Access remains low and investment continues to lag. Access to the Internet is still very limited. Where Internet service is available, it is typically priced much higher than in wealthier countries, making it beyond the means of most potential users. These conditions severely hamper exploitation of the Internet's potential for social and economic applications-in commerce, education, health and other public services. This paper focuses on strategies to increase Internet access in low and lower middle income countries (as defined by World Bank indicators). It includes analysis of the status of Internet access and broadband in developing regions, lessons learned from the explosive growth of mobile wireless in these regions, and from innovative regulatory and policy initiatives.