Growth in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector has exploded over the past 20 years. Continuous dynamic market and technology developments in this sector have led to a phenomenon known as convergence, which is defined in this volume as the erosion of boundaries between previously separate ICT services, networks, and business practices. Some examples include cable television networks that offer phone service, Internet television, and mergers between media and telecommunications firms. The results are exciting and hold significant promise for developing countries, which can benefit from expanded access, greater competition, and increased investments. However, convergence in ICT is challenging traditional policy and regulatory frameworks. With convergence occurring in countries across the spectrum of economic development, it is critical that policy makers and regulators understand and respond in ways that maximize the benefits while mitigating the risks. This volume analyzes the strategic and regulatory dimensions of convergence. It offers policy makers and regulators examples from countries around the world as they address this phenomenon. The authors suggest that countries that enable convergence are likely to reap the greater rewards, but the precise nature of the response will vary by country. Hence, this book offers global principles that should be tailored to local circumstances as regulatory frameworks evolve to address convergence.

The year 2000 initiated a decade of spectacular growth in the information and communication technology sector in developing countries. Almost 75 percent of the world's mobile telephone subscriptions are in low- and middle-income countries, which have also promoted exciting innovations and realized significant economic development benefits. However, the adoption and use of broadband technology is another matter. Countries in North America and the European Union account for more than 50 percent of the world's 1 billion fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions, but South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa together account for less than 3 percent. This inequality threatens to create a new digital divide. Access to broadband connectivity is a country's passport to the global information society and knowledge economy-the future. A growing number of countries, however, are seeking to spur broadband development. To aid policy makers and regulators as they design their own programs, this volume offers examples and ideas from some of the most successful broadband markets. The focus is on the Republic of Korea, but other case studies include Finland, France, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Building Broadband does not suggest a universal solution but rather provides a long list of policies and programs organized within a strategic framework that allows solutions tailored to country circumstances. The three essential building blocks identified-be visionary yet flexible, use competition to promote market growth, and facilitate demand??-are useful everywhere because they focus on improving incentives and the climate for private investment. This is a policy that even countries with very limited resources should be able to follow.