Importance
Of
Satellite
Broadband
In
The
Achievement
Of
The
Un
Millenium
Goals
The
Executive
Secretary
of
EUTELSAT,
as
one
of
the
founder
Commissioners
of
the
Broadband
Commission
for
Digital
Development,
participated
in
the
Commission’s
second
meeting
on
19
September
in New York. The Commission’s report was
finalised
and
presented
to
the
UN
Secretary-General
Ban
ki
Moon
ahead
of
the
UN
Millennium
Development
Goals
(MDG)
Summit.
On
receiving
the
report,
the
UN
Secretary-General
stated
that
“the
expansion
of
broadband
is a
critical
factor
in
development,
and
in
meeting
the
MDGs.”
He
referred
to
the
value
of
broadband
in
delivering
health
services
and
education,
as
well
as
its
role
in
cultural
diversity
and
the
generation
of
economic
activity
and
management
of
climate
change,
natural
disasters
and
other
global
crises.
Highlighting
the
need
for
governments
to
raise
broadband
to
the
top
of
the
development
agenda
and
speed
up
its
rollout,
he
emphasised
the
importance
of
providing
affordable
broadband
in
the
least
developed
countries.
Thanking
the
Commissioners
for
their
co-operation
and
commitment,
the
UN
Secretary-General
acknowledged
the
benefit
of
the
diverse
expertise
of
the
Broadband
Commission.
ITU
Secretary-General,
Dr
Hamadoun
Touré,
threw
down
a
challenge
to
politicians,
UN
agency
chiefs
and
industry
leaders
to
ensure
provision
of
access
to
broadband
networks
to
more
than
half
of
the
world’s
population
by
2015,
and
to
make
access
to
high-speed
networks
a
basic
civil
right.
In a
co-ordinated
statement
with
the
Directors
General
of
ITSO
(International
Telecoms
Satellite
Organization)
and
IMSO
(International
Mobile
Satellite
Organization),
the
EUTELSAT
Executive
Secretary
stressed
the
important
role
that
satellite
technology
plays
in
the
provision
of
broadband
services
in
rural
and
remote
areas
or
in
the
case
of
natural
disasters
when
land
infrastructure
is
not
available.
The
heads
of
the
satellite
organisations
stated
that
“Satellite
technology
is
rapidly
deployable,
highly
reliable
and
capable
of
delivering
the
access
speeds
required
by
applications
today
and
in
the
future.
Satellite
represents
instant
infrastructure
which
is
economically
viable
and
efficient.”
The
Broadband
Commission
for
Digital
Development,
launched
in
May
2010
by
the
International
Telecommunication
Union
(ITU)
and
the
United
Nations
Educational,
Scientific
and
Cultural
Organization
(UNESCO),
comprises
government
leaders
from
around
the
world,
and
the
highest-level
representatives
of
relevant
industries,
international
agencies,
and
organizations
concerned
with
development.
The
Commission
presented
its
“2010
Declaration
of
Broadband
Inclusion
for
All”,
as
well
as
its
recommendations
and
a
plan
of
action
in a
report
entitled
“A
2010
Leadership
Imperative:
Towards
a
Future
Built
on
Broadband”
on
19
September.
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