The UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development met today in Geneva, Switzerland, to commemorate 15 years of advancing universal broadband access and digital inclusion.
The meeting took place as digital technology communities get set to join together for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 High-Level Event 2025 and the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 , both taking place in Geneva this week.
Founded in 2010 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Carlos Slim Helú, the public-private collaboration has elevated universal broadband connectivity to the forefront of global policy discussions.
With 2.6 billion people around the world still offline, the Broadband Commission's work serves as a policy and programmatic guide for national and international action in broadband development and for achieving universal connectivity.
"Fifteen years ago, we began with the simple conviction that broadband must reach everyone, everywhere, because it is an essential driver of sustainable development," said President Kagame, Co-Chair of the Commission. "Today, broadband powers economies, expands access to knowledge in rural as well as urban areas, and brings communities closer, across continents."
"The Broadband Commission´s work over 15 years has helped change global connectivity and digital development," said Carlos M. Jarque, representing Slim, Co-Chair of the Commission. "Since 2010, the number of Internet users has grown by the billions. To expand on this progress, we need to encourage forward-looking regulatory frameworks, strong investment, digital transformation in businesses and public institutions, and digital skills of the population"
Commissioners , including global leaders, CEOs and heads of international organizations, have championed broadband as a cornerstone of economic growth and sustainable development.
Once seen as technical infrastructure, broadband is now central to national competitiveness and essential services that benefit economies, governments, and societies.
"Since our first gathering in 2010, this Commission has put broadband at the front and centre of every global development conversation, and consistently championed connectivity by setting ambitious targets for access, use, affordability, skills and policy," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Co-Vice Chair of the Commission. "This work has been transformative for expanding digital connectivity, and is a valuable precedent for future collaborative, multistakeholder work to connect the unconnected."
Supporting broadband connectivity since 2010
To date, the Commission's key outcomes include:
- 15 annual State of Broadband reports, offering a comprehensive overview of progress and challenges in broadband connectivity, and proposing solutions to close connectivity gaps.
- 35-plus Working Groups conducting research on health, education, and gender equality, producing actionable recommendations to drive universal connectivity.
- Catalyzing major global initiatives: EQUALS , the Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age; Giga , the ITU-UNICEF initiative aiming to connect every school to the Internet by 2030; and the Child Online Safety Universal Declaration .
- Advocating globally by engaging nearly 200 high-level leaders and informing key UN processes and global development agendas.
- In total, issuing over 100 knowledge products and more than 70 concrete recommendations to guide policies on affordability, infrastructure, skills, and investment
Guiding policymakers as technology evolves
During the meeting, the Broadband Commission reviewed the results of the Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating Data in the Digital Age.
The toolkit provides practical guidance for policymakers reviewing data regulation, cross-border flows, and responsible data use in the era of AI and emerging technologies
The report of the Commission's Working Group on Data Governance will be formally issued on Tuesday, July 8 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 High-Level Event 2025.
"In this landmark year for the Broadband Commission, it is heartening that 95 per cent of humanity is within reach of broadband, however, the real challenge is ensuring that everyone can afford access, express themselves, and use information in a meaningful way," said Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO Assistant Director-General. "UNESCO, together with its partners, is working to address the barriers - including those related to skills development and local language content - to ensure that the promise of connectivity for sustainable development becomes a reality for all."
Looking ahead
To mark its 15th anniversary, the Commission will launch a series of State of Broadband 2025 reports.
The four-part series will focus on global progress toward the Commission's seven Advocacy Targets; the evolving satellite broadband landscape; regional digital developments in Sub-Saharan Africa; and the broader transformation of digital societies shaped by infrastructure, AI, and data governance.
Learn more here .