Universal Service Policies in Europe & Latam: Evidence on Bridging the Divide in Rural Areas

José María Castellano [Autor]
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ISSN: 1886-2802
IBEI
España - Barcelona
Diciembre de 2013

Broadband access is a key factor for economic and social development. However, providing broadband to rural areas is not attractive to private telecommunications operators due its low or zero investment return. To deal with broadband provision in rural areas, different governance systems based on private and public cooperation have appeared. This paper not only identifies and defines public and private cooperation models but also assesses their impact on overcoming the digital divide in rural areas.