Broadband Commission celebrates 15 years of driving global digital inclusion
Date: 2025-07-07
The UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has marked its 15th anniversary, reflecting on its legacy of advancing universal connectivity while confronting persistent digital divides. The high-level meeting in Geneva brought together commissioners including Rwandan President Paul Kagame, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, and representatives of co-chair Carlos Slim Helú to assess progress toward bridging the gap for 2.6 billion people still offline worldwide.
Since its 2010 founding by ITU, UNESCO, President Kagame and Mexican business leader Slim, the Commission has transformed broadband from technical infrastructure into recognized economic bedrock. "What began as a conviction has become reality – broadband now powers economies, expands knowledge access, and connects continents," said President Kagame, noting the Commission's role in elevating connectivity as a UN Sustainable Development Goal accelerator.
Key achievements over the past fifteen years include the
publication of annual State of Broadband reports, the establishment of
initiatives like EQUALS for gender equality in digital access, and the
ITU-UNICEF Giga project connecting schools worldwide. The Commission has
produced over 100 knowledge products and seventy policy recommendations that
have guided national digital strategies.
Yet challenges
persist. While 95% of humanity now lives within broadband coverage,
affordability and meaningful usage gaps remain acute, particularly across
Africa. UNESCO's Tawfik Jelassi emphasized the need for local-language content
and digital literacy to complement infrastructure gains.
The Commission unveiled its Data Governance Toolkit ahead of formal launch at WSIS+20, providing policymakers frameworks for managing AI-era data flows. Looking forward, a four-part State of Broadband 2025 series will analyze satellite connectivity, African digital transformation, and AI's societal impacts.
As the AI for
Good Summit convenes this week, the Commission's anniversary underscores
broadband's enduring role as the foundational layer for inclusive technological
progress. With its unique public-private model, the body continues adapting its
advocacy to address emerging barriers proving that in the digital age,
connectivity remains the ultimate cross-cutting enabler for human development.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
