September 21st, 2016

Commonwealth forum focuses on empowering communities in Asia through broadband

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 21 SEPTEMBER 2016  – The two-day Commonwealth Broadband Asia Forum 2016 organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) begins today in Kuala Lumpur. Held under the theme of Connecting Smart Communities, the event aims to review progress made by countries in the region in deploying broadband networks and explore solutions to achieve high-speed access to the Internet for all in Asia.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Shola Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTO invited the region to invest in “universal” broadband access.

“We believe that to achieve inclusive economic growth, it is critically important that high-speed access to the Internet is physically available to every citizen at affordable rates, and we are committed to working with our member countries in the region to achieve this goal,” he said.

Earlier this year, the CTO made universal and affordable broadband one the six strategic goals to be achieved by 2020.

The regional event, which is hosted this year by Malaysia’s regulator Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission, is part of the CTO’s efforts to find solutions to achieve universal broadband in member countries by 2020. A similar event was held on 14 – 15 July in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago for the Caribbean region.

Over two days, participants at the Kuala Lumpur event will reflect on a range of issues, such as:

  • The role of national broadband strategies
  • Regulatory mechanisms for fostering broadband growth
  • 5G: Building the next generation of mobile networks
  • Incorporating social value into spectrum allocation decisions
  • USF administration challenges and successes
  • Internet services and e-governance
  • Promoting industry competition and structural reform for an inclusive economy

For more information please contact The Communications Team, communications@cto.int or +44 20 8600 3820.

About the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth intergovernmental organisation in the field of information and communication technologies. With a diverse membership spanning developed and least developed countries, small island developing states, and more recently also the private sector and civil society, the CTO aims to become a trusted partner for sustainable development for all through ICTs. More information about us here.