benefits result from efficiencies in the distribution of goods, services and information.

Thus, the
economic benefits of broadband transcend from both direct and indirect sources.
____________________ 2 ITU Internet Reports: “Birth of Broadband”; International Telecommunication
Union; September 2003. This publication has been compiled by the ITU General Secretariat. 3 ITU
Internet Reports: “Birth of Broadband”; International Telecommunication Union; September 2003. 4
See: www.itu.int/osg/spu/ni/promotebroadband/PB03-PromoteBroadband.doc 5 WSIS Declaration of
Principles, www.itu.int/wsis 6 Ben Mackin. “The value of Widespread Broadband”, Entrepreneur.com,
August 13, 2002. 2 Report on Question 20-1/2 In the United States, for example, several studies have
been released detailing the prevailing economic benefits of broadband deployment. A July 2001 study
conducted in the U.S. by Robert Crandall and Charles Jackson has estimated the benefit of broadband to
the United States to be upwards of USD 500 billion per year within the next fifteen to twenty-five years,
if broadband were to become nationally available.7 In addition, the Corporation for Network Initiatives
in California (CENIC) projects the benefits of broadband for the state to be quite substantial. California’s
“One Gigabit or Bust” broadband initiative promises to add 2 million jobs and an estimated USD 376
billion growth in gross state product (GSP) by 2010. This would equate to a 17 per cent increase in GDP
per capita, as opposed to a mere 3 per cent increase without expanded broadband deployment.8 Many
countries and governments around the world may be concerned about the expenses of deploying
broadband networks; however, with economic incentives and a favourable regulatory policy, it may be
done both cost effectively and efficiently. Potential fiscal incentives for broadband build-out, such as tax
credits, grants, subsidized or low-interest loans, support for research and development on broadband
technologies – particularly for rural and underserved areas – can make broadband network deployment
a reality.9 I.2 Broadband Applications in Telecommunications With the advent of broadband
technologies, a myriad of applications become possible or are enhanced beyond their current
capabilities limited only to dial-up Internet access. Some of the applications include: • E-Health • E-
Working • E-Government • E-Agriculture • E- Learning • Public Safety • Applications for persons with
disabilities • Utility applications • Small business assistance • Information gathering • E-Tourism • E-
Commerce • Entertainment While this is not an exhaustive list, these applications are some of the most
important for broadband use. The next section describes some of the most commonly used broadband
applications and provides real-life examples of how broadband has been used globally to facilitate these
services. ____________________ 7 Robert Crandall and Charles Jackson. “The $500 Billion Opportunity:
The Potential Economic Benefits of Widespread Diffusion of Broadband Internet Access”, Criterion
Economics, L.L.C., Washington D.C., July 2001. 8 Corporation for Education Initiative in California.
www.cenic.org 9 “Broadband Bringing Home the Bits”. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 2002,
p. 168. Report on Question 20-1/2 3 I.2.1 E-Health E-Health (also referred to as telemedicine) has been
touted as one of the primary applications made possible by broadband technology. E-Health refers not
only to making diagnoses and treating patients using highspeed telecommunication access with two-way
voice, video and data transmission, but it can also refer to the ability of consumers to purchase medical
supplies or prescription drugs online. Broadband deployment has led to revolutionary developments in
the medical field. E-Health allows patients that are either too elderly, too sick or those in rural or remote
areas too far away from medical facilities to “see” a doctor and receive medical attention using medical
equipment and digital imagery technology. Thus, e-health enables improved access and better quality
medical care to those who cannot visit a doctor in person, as well as offers early diagnosis and medical
treatment. E-health also facilitates medical training for persons that can help doctors and patients in the
diagnosis process from afar. While not only reducing transportation costs, it encourages the sharing of
scarce resources for medical care. Internationally, there are many examples where e-health has had a
significant societal impact. The beauty of e-mail is that, with the appropriate technology, it can be
performed anywhere. The following are just a few examples of where and how e-health, using
broadband technology, has been employed. • Tele-radiology in Canada’s Buchanan Memorial Hospital
used broadband telecommunication technology to help diagnose a problem in a patient over 270
kilometers away, thus allowing for proper patient care without the patient having to be moved.10 •
Using telecommunication satellite broadband technology, several patients in a remote area in Canada
were treated by a dermatologist that was over 900 miles away. Had the technology not been available,
those patients would have had to wait several months until the specialist could make it out to this
remote area.11 • In Ontario, the Canadian Hearing Society has planned several projects using
broadband technology in an