Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
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programs oriented to foster digital literacy. Up to 29% of broadband non-adopters in certain
OIC Member Countries cited limited digital literacy as a reason from not acquiring service.
Initiatives aimed at building digital literacy need to involve both embedding programs in the
formal education system, while targeting non-formal initiatives to specific segments of the
population (elderly, handicapped, rural poor, etc.).
For countries that are still at the early development stages of broadband demand and supply, a
combination of infrastructure deployment incentives and demand stimulation policies are
required. Policy makers in these countries have to recognize that the competitive incentive will
not be sufficient to generate the stimuli required to promote infrastructure investment.
Assuming that governments of these countries have limited resources to inject investment in
universal broadband reach, it might be necessary again to rely on incumbents and provide
them with the right incentives to deploy broadband networks. Infrastructure investment
stimulation policies should be put in place simultaneously with demand promotion
mechanisms that drive uptake to commercialize the supply availability.