Broadband moves to the top of Mexico's agenda

Published on: 16th Mar 2013

?The recent announcement by the government of President Enrique Pe?a Nieto to restructure Mexico's telecommunications regulatory frameworks will help put broadband development at the top of the country's national development agenda, according to ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Tour?.

Dr Tour? arrives in Mexico City on March 16 for the 7th meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, the advocacy group he established in 2010 in partnership with United Nations sister agency UNESCO. The Commission comprises some 60 top-level representatives from both public and private sectors and across a wide range of industry sectors, reflecting the transformational power of high-speed technology to stimulate development in all areas of human endeavour.

In 2011 the Commission established a set of four key broadband targets that all countries should strive to meet by 2015, the target year for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Measured against the key target of affordability, Mexico has already notched up solid performance, with an entry-level fixed broadband subscription representing 2.5% of average monthly salary, against the target of 5%. New government legislation should promote even broader competition, further driving down the cost of access.

Commenting on the regulatory overhaul, Dr Tour? said: "I welcome any regulatory reform designed to increase access to the broadband networks that will be the life-blood of countries in terms of accelerating progress towards the MDGs and strengthening national competitiveness. I hope the focus will be on equal treatment of all players, ensuring affordable access and protecting the interests of the consumer. I am optimistic that new legislation will strengthen the capacity of Mexico to deliver broadband to all its citizens. Broadband is critical to enabling people, no matter where they live or what their means, to access government services, and to reap the benefits offered by innovations such as m-health and e-learning. Broadband investment will promote the convergence of telecommunications services and promote interoperability and harmonization - which is good for business and good for the consumer."

Broadband is central to future social and economic development, and for many parts of the world access to broadband will be over mobile networks. To realize the full potential of this transformational technology, new models will sometimes be needed. It has never been more urgent for all stakeholders to work together to create solutions to drive broadband-enabled prosperity and ensure universal broadband access."

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Tags: [Mexico]?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cellular-news/LmiX/~3/Pm4RJzutiPM/59073.php

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