Digitalization of the Globe Geared in Collaboration
Digitalization of the Globe Geared in Collaboration
  • Chun Go-eun
  • 승인 2010.06.11 14:41
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On May, 13, the National Information Society Agency of Korea (NIA) announced that its President Kim Seang-tae was appointed to the committee of the Broadband Commission. The Broadband Commission is organized by ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). 

The Broadband Commission is made up of 30 representatives from different markets around the world. These top commissioners including Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda; Julius Genachowski, the chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission; and Carlos Slim Helu, an Honorary Lifetime Chairman of Grupo Carso will gather to discuss broadband penetration and provision as a solution to global poverty and economic development. 

The result of the committee's activities is going to be announced at the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit, which will be held in New York in September. Kim Seang-tae emphasized, "Korea was ranked first in e-government valuation by the U.N. Korea's successful broadband proliferation will shine through cooperation with developing countries."

Following the article is President Kim Seang-tae's greeting and answers that will be included on the ITU webpage. 

Aspiration 

"I am grateful that the ITU and UNESCO gave me such a valuable opportunity to serve as the Broadband Commission," the President of the National Information Society Agency Kim Seang-tae continued, "In the information society, digital humanism aims to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations through IT. I believe that Korea is the world's most noted digital humanitarian. The Korean government completed the construction of broadband networks in farming and fishing villages and remote rural areas as of 2008 and the level of digital literacy for vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly has reached 69.7 percent within a short time.  By actively promoting IT-related ODA (Official Development Assistance) programs worldwide, the Korean government will endeavor to build a digital global village. I will serve the Commission with great honor by sharing Korea's successful experience in IT development with other countries around the world."

Dear President Kim:

How can we build commitment to the concept of broadband inclusion for all - across sectors and all stakeholders 

All relevant stakeholders need to recognize that broadband in an information society is a social asset that comprises a nation's core functions, a variety of services and is something that should be made available to all members of society. Because broadband is perceived as an infrastructure for future society, it is generally difficult for governments to obtain a budget for investing in broadband. In case of Korea the government was able to secure the necessary funds for broadband construction by laying aside income from frequency allocation and also by appropriating part of the turnover of telecommunication operators as R&D funds according to the Framework Act on Informatization Promotion enacted in 1995. 

How can we best demonstrate the transformational benefits that broadband will deliver in health, education, government, enterprise and creativity - in both developed and developing countries 

The effects of the construction of broadband networks do not appear in a short time. First of all, it is needed to emphasize the necessity and effectiveness of broadband by identifying and improving those services that the general public or businesses find inconvenient. And when we provide the public with high profile broadband services such as e-health, e-learning and e-government, which can demonstrate the benefits and impacts, we can increase their participation and responses.  The Korean government has also developed and demonstrated broadband-based futuristic services like e-health, e-learning, e-government and u-City since 1995 when it began constructing broadband networks. 

How can we create political will at the highest levels to achieve universal broadband access 

When compared to other urgent projects, it may be difficult to prioritize the construction of a future-oriented ICT infrastructure like broadband in terms of resource allocation. Therefore, the will of the leader at the top is very important and an organizational system or a governance system to support him or her should be established. The Korean government established the presidential Informatization Promotion Council and the Ministry of Information and Communication and included broadband construction as a major national policy.

How can we convince industry of the need to expand broadband access as a key driver towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 

We can establish a virtuous cycle of investment where the government first creates demand and invests accordingly and the private sector follows suit. As for Korea, the Korea Information Infrastructure, in which the government invested 805.5 billion won, generated not only direct effects like about three trillion won saved in the public sector's communication costs, but also indirect effects such as increasing production by 1,527.5 billion won and creating added value amounting to 443.1 billion won, attracting the private sector's investment in broadband. 

Based on return on investment at minimum income levels with maximum spill-over benefits across multiple sectors of the economy, how can we best develop economic and business models that demonstrate the positive impact of universal broadband 

The most effective way is to use two separate approaches. In the initial phase, the government sets a virtuous cycle by taking the initiative in investing in deploying broadband networks. The next step is to promote a variety of financing packages (low-interest loans or matching funds) to let the broadband networks be built and deployed in underserved areas where private investment are difficult. As for Korea, in 1995 when broadband services began to be deployed, the government invested in building broadband networks for the public sector, creating an initial demand that naturally led to the private sector's investment.  Later, the government adopted a low-interest loan program to help build broadband networks in underserved areas.

How do we tackle the issues of online privacy, confidentiality, protection and security which will need to be addressed in the broadband world 

To address the issues, not only the development of technical solutions but also education, promotion and the establishment of related laws and regulations become necessary. For example, Korea has actively dealt with the above issues by responding to cyber attacks and developing related technical solutions through the Korea Internet Security Center and enacting related laws such as laws for information security. 

How can we promote and protect cultural expression and diversity in the broadband world 

There are concerns that if broadband spreads globally, each country's cultural characteristics may become blurred. However, we need to let the global community recognize that broadband can be a channel to showcase unique cultural characteristics of individual countries and ethnic minorities, and to increase exchanges among different cultures. Korea has digitalized its own culture and knowledge resources to preserve them permanently, enabling the public to learn about cultural heritage conveniently through the Internet.

How can we 'build a global partnership for development' (MDG 8 Target 18) which leverages the benefits of broadband innovation and investment 

The successful spread of broadband requires practical support system at the U.N. level, which will enable best practices of broadband use to be shared and spread globally. Besides the Broadband Commission currently working for digital development, it will be a good alternative to have a practical 'working group' that can promote projects and conduct research. 

How can we deliver concrete broadband commitments and projects, which will help to advance the MDG agenda 

We need to identify and carry out various IT projects that require global cooperation, such as knowledge sharing through broadband, global disaster prevention, resolving educational problems, and disease eradication. For this, it will be helpful to expand the IT dimension of ODA  programs. For example, Korea has constructed informatization infrastructure and provided informatization education through Information Access Centers in 22 countries, including Cambodia and Vietnam, in order to reduce the digital divide and expand information access opportunities in those countries.

How can we engage private and public enterprise to test the main Commission findings 

In unprofitable and high risk areas, we can build a private-public partnership model to facilitate the construction of broadband networks. For example, the solutions to securing financial resources for underserved areas like rural villages can be loans, incentive system or co-financing through matching funds. At an early stage of building broadband networks, the government can engage the private sector in the projects by actively investing in infrastructure as a way of guaranteeing demand.

 


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