Intel India hosts Broadband Forum 2013

Intel India, in association with the Universal Services Obligation Fund, Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, India, has kick-started the Asia Broadband and Universal Service Leaders Forum 2013. The four-day Forum will address and share their experiences, current challenges and ideas on the topic of “Closing the Digital Divide” in their respective countries.

Rita Teaotia, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecom, Ministry of Communications and IT, GoI, said, This is a great opportunity for the Asian countries to come together on a common platform to discuss and deliberate the issue of closing the digital divide in our respective countries with the aim of improving our societies through Information and Communication Technologies.

Debjani Ghosh, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing, Intel South Asia, said, A large segment of the Indian population based in the hinterlands is digitally isolated. Intel believes that technology has the power to enable inclusive growth through the power of digital literacy. Forums like these provide us a platform to come together, understand the challenges and devise solutions to bridge the digital divide and transfer its benefits to the people at bottom of the ‘digital’ pyramid.
 
The Forum will highlight the experiences of a number of countries including India, in developing and implementing successful Broadband and USOF programmes. The interactive sessions on country broadband deployments updates and sustainability will help enable the policy-makers to showcase their work and exchange their views with the aim of developing a new vision for closing the digital divide in the participating countries.