Broadband Policies For Latin America And The Caribbean

This joint initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the OECD seeks to encourage the expansion of broadband networks and services in the region, supporting a coherent and cross-sectorial approach, to maximise their benefits for economic and social development.

This joint initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the OECD seeks to encourage the expansion of broadband networks and services in the region, supporting a coherent and cross-sectorial approach, to maximise their benefits for economic and social development. Drawing on a wealth of experience from LAC and OECD countries, the Toolkit outlines the main policy objectives in this area and provides guidance for their measurement, an overview of developments in the region, and a compilation of good practices in several areas related to broadband policy making. This comprehensive volume encompasses a wealth of areas including digital strategies, regulatory frameworks, spectrum management, competition and infrastructure bottlenecks, broadband access, affordability, sector taxation, inclusion, convergence, regional integration, education, skills, business uptake, entrepreneurship, local content, e-health, digital government, consumer policy, and digital security and privacy.

This joint initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the OECD seeks to encourage the expansion of broadband networks and services in the region, supporting a coherent and cross-sectorial approach, to maximise their benefits for economic and social development. Drawing on a wealth of experience from LAC and OECD countries, the Toolkit outlines the main policy objectives in this area and provides guidance for their measurement, an overview of developments in the region, and a compilation of good practices in several areas related to broadband policy making. This comprehensive volume encompasses a wealth of areas including digital strategies, regulatory frameworks, spectrum management, competition and infrastructure bottlenecks, broadband access, affordability, sector taxation, inclusion, convergence, regional integration, education, skills, business uptake, entrepreneurship, local content, e-health, digital government, consumer policy, and digital security and privacy.

Foreword -- The shifting digital paradigm in Latin America -- The demand gap: drivers and public policies -- Regional and international connectivity -- Broadband, digitization and development -- Mobile broadband: the urgent need for speedier roll-out -- Cloud computing, structural change and job creation in SMEs -- National broadband plans -- Broadband and industrial policy: the Korean experience -- Net neutrality: debate and policies -- The advance of cloud computing -- The challenge of over-the-top content and services

"This book analyses the development of information societies in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and provides input for public policy on information and communications technologies (ICT) issues."--Provided by publisher.

This report discusses policies and approaches to spur sustainable and inclusive digital transformation in the LAC region across seven action areas: enhancing access to digital technologies; strengthening their effective use; enabling digital innovation; ensuring quality jobs for all; promoting an inclusive digital society; strengthening trust; and fostering market openness. The report also aims to contribute to the preparation of an action plan that will support the region’s efforts to reap the benefits of the digital transformation. This publication was prepared to support the discussions of the OECD Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Programme’s Third Ministerial Summit on Productivity “Harnessing the Digital Transformation to Boost Productivity in in Latin America and the Caribbean”. It draws on OECD work on carried out in the context of the Going Digital project, as well as a range of work specific to the LAC region, such as the OECD-IDB report Broadband Policies for Latin America and the Caribbean, the OECD Reviews of Telecommunication Policies in Mexico and Colombia, and the OECD Going Digital Reviews of Colombia and Brazil.

Examines the problem of inedequate access to information and communication technology (ICT) and the need to develop appropriate pro-poor ICT policies. Shows how market reforms have failed to ensure that the benefits of the Information Society have spread across the region.

Over the past two decades, most Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have experienced robust economic growth and been able to make significant reductions in poverty and income inequality. However, growth in the region was not strong enough to ensure convergence towards levels ...