Bridging connectivity divides
Reliable and high-quality connectivity is fundamental for the digital transformation.
Now more than ever, access to high-quality broadband services at affordable prices
is essential to ensure that economic and social activities can continue in an increasingly
remote manner. However, important disparities in terms of connectivity persist, aggravating
the consequences of digital divides. As such, expanding connectivity to achieve an
inclusive society is at the heart of policy agendas in OECD countries. However, more
concretely, what are the innovative policies and regulatory measures that have proven
to work best to ensure connectivity for all? This Going Digital Toolkit note provides
a “roadmap” to policymakers by identifying policies and regulation to effectively
reduce connectivity divides. Such policies include promoting competition, fostering
investment, and removing barriers to broadband deployment, as well as a set of tailored
approaches that are particularly relevant to extending connectivity in rural and remote
areas. The Annex of this note provides examples of related policy and regulatory approaches
implemented by different OECD countries.
Published on September 14, 2021
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