Phillippa Biggs

On September 15, the United Nations Broadband Commission issued the latest edition of its flagship State of Broadband report, a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011. Lead Author Phillippa Briggs answers questions about key issues in the report.

Asked, "More than half the world is still offline! What is the main reason for this and how can it be solved?" Biggs replied, "There is no single main reason – there are many different reasons, which differ from country to country, as well as individual to individual. Historically, attention has focused on infrastructure availability and network coverage; nowadays, issues of demand and affordability are coming to the forefront.." Asked, "The world is rapidly urbanizing and we are at a pivotal moment to design smart cities for the future, what role will broadband play in moving this agenda forward?" Biggs replied, "Broadband is helping make our cities and human settlements more energy-efficient, through smart grids, smart water management, intelligent transport systems, and better data and analysis to improve decision-making. At the same time, they can help create greater economic opportunities in rural areas, and potentially slow down the migration to urban areas."