Europe must get its act together to bridge the broadband divide, says Liikanen
In the past year alone, the number of high speed Internet connections in the EU has almost doubled, and it is estimated that the total number of broadband connections is fast approaching 20 million. Yet there remains a real risk that many people living in the EU will be excluded from this apparent technological revolution. Indeed, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, Erkki Liikanen, warns that up to 25 per cent of the population could be denied commercial broadband coverage in the short to medium term. The possible emergence of a 'broadband divide' in the EU led the Commission to organise a series of workshops to help Member States develop national broadband strategies. Two have already taken place, addressing barriers to broadband and digital content, and a third was held on 15 December to address regional and local initiatives to extend broadband coverage. In his opening address at the workshop, Mr Liikanen reminded Member State representatives that they had committed to developing their broadband strategies by the end of 2003: 'National strategies are necessary to sustain the growth of the market we have been witnessing in these past months, and bridge the digital divide.' The reason why the Commissioner considers the wide availability of high speed Internet connectivity to be so crucial relates to the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on Europe's economy. 'The emergence of high speed services such as broadband and 3G [third generation mobile] provide new opportunities for growth and a positive outlook for the future,' he said. The major concern, according to Mr Liikanen, is the fragmentation of services between both countries and regions in Europe, as well as within regions themselves. The first step that Member States must take to address the situation is to map broadband availability within their borders, identify under-served areas, and direct public intervention accordingly. '[O]ne main principle of intervention should be technological neutrality,' he said. 'Technological choice must result from a proper assessment of local needs on the basis of a cost benefit analysis.' Intervention should be limited to infrastructure and equipment that is open to all operators and service providers, the Commissioner continued, and should not result in a distortion of competition. Finally, Mr Liikanen reminded his audience that the wider deployment of infrastructure must be accompanied by the development and use of broadband applications and services. 'These are essential tools [...] and as such should be part of a comprehensive regional strategy for the information society.' 'If we get our acts together, it can just be a matter of time for Europe and its regions to catch up with the US [...]. The European Union, Member States and all regions must recognise the key role ICT plays for economic growth and should reflect it in their policies,' Mr Liikanen concluded.