Pakistan to create their own Broadband Stakeholder Group

News came through today that the Pakistan Telecoms Authority is to take the lead in a newly formed Broadband Stakeholder Group in Pakistan. The group have identified a range of issues that, on the surface, appear very similar to those that the BSG were tasked with addressing back in 2001.

Pakistan are not alone in examining the BSG model. There is already a Broadband Stakeholders Group in the Lebanon (which has produced a Broadband Manifesto), and other countries such as Chile have shown an interest in the concept.

For me, these developments highlight two things. First is the acceptance of the central role and importance of widespread coverage and take-up of broadband for the economic and social wellbeing of a country and its citizens. Markets across the globe are developing at different speeds, starting from very different positions and at different times. However, the issues they are facing are similar and the conclusions reached in response are broadly aligned – certainly no-one has said that broadband is not important.

The second point is that many of these issues require a collaborative effort to be addressed. They are too big to be solely the responsibility of a competitive industry, or a government department, or a regulator. Lebanon, Pakistan and others are finding this to be true of first generation broadband; in our experience, so it is true of next generation broadband.

Peter Shearman, Policy Manager, BSG