Page 17 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

COVID-19 VS TELECOM INDUSTRY SAMENA TRENDS

Developing States.
• Implementation of streamlined actions
and partnerships to promote the
expansion of, broadband connectivity,
digital services and digital inclusiveness
to unconnected communities and
populations still lacking access.
• Emphasizing and promoting the
ongoing importance of connectivity
for education, access to information
and online user empowerment through
Medium term agenda • Implementation of agile and flexible media and information literacy.
• Acceleration and implementation regulatory measures to support • Highlighting of areas where connectivity
of digital cooperation and digital inclusive and competitive digital is playing a key role in the COVID-19
strategies and policies, including environment. pandemic response and sharing of
emergency health response, safer use • Adoption of strategies aimed at these stories to help build better and
policies, and strategies to promote promoting universal, affordable more resilient societies.
greater digital inclusion, and identifying broadband connectivity by mobilizing • Identifying major partners for public
gaps for effective response and better public and private funding and financing of connectivity of vital services
preparedness. investment, especially in Least including schools, and actions to attract
• Elevation to the G20 level of resilient Developed Countries, Landlocked institutional finance investors looking
broadband networks as a basic right. Developing Countries and Small Island for a compelling market opportunity.

The current health emergency highlights the urgency of the Broadband Commission's core mandate and ongoing agenda, and the
work of its various Working Groups. Current Working Groups are focused on a broad range of areas including identifying new 21st
century financing models for broadband access and connectivity; expanding broadband connectivity in Africa; mapping, connecting
and financing connectivity for all the world's schools; the use of AI to facilitate and accelerate better health care responses; and the
deployment of broadband to facilitate public private partnerships to enhance epidemic preparedness.

17 MARCH 2020