By OSONDU NWOKORO
Access to “always on” and “fast Internet service” generally
referred to as Broadband is now an essential ingredient for participating in the
global digital society. The presence or absence of it determines what side of
the digital divide a country and its citizens would find themselves. It has now
become a basic need and an index of development like access to electricity and
telephones, etc. Indeed in Finland, Broadband is now considered a fundamental human
right.
The Broadband Commission (a joint initiative of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has stated that “the Internet and other ICT
platforms now constitute critical modern resources and are vital prerequisites for participation in
today’s growing digital economy”. It further acknowledges that “the benefits of
Broadband are profound – in opening up young minds to new horizons through
educational technologies, in empowering women to expand their opportunities
through genuine choices, in improving awareness of hygiene and healthcare and in
helping family breadwinners find work, a better salary or return on their
goods. Through broadband, the provision of public services is transformed to
make them global public goods for the global good. Greater access to the
Internet and broadband applications and services help accelerate achievement of
internationally-agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).”
Broadband facilitates e-commerce, e-education, e-entertainment,
e-health and e-government - the smart world as it is commonly referred to,
where online activities bring about huge efficiencies in daily activities and
also creates new opportunities. Mobile or m-services have introduced the
element of “mobility’ to the smart world. In Europe, the smart concept (running
on “e” and “m” services) has
