Alcatel-Lucent and UN-ESCWA publish a joint report on broadband for socioeconomic development in Western Asia

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and the United Nations Economic and SocialCommission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) based in Beirut, Lebanon promoting economic and social activities of 13 Middle-Eastern countries, made public today a joint report on “Broadband for Development in the ESCWA Region; Enhancing Access to ICT Services in a Global Knowledge Society”.

The first dimension of the report is an analysis of the status of broadband deployment in the ESCWA region, substantiated by specific country case studies. The second is an assessment of lessons learnt from international experience, focusing on what has made broadband a success in other countries. The third dimension consists of an evaluation of technologies and business cases that may support broadband for socioeconomic development in the region, for which broadband availability is widely perceived as a powerful catalyst.

Youssef Nusseir, Chief of ICT Division at ESCWA, declared: "We are pleased to be here today to launch the joint report entitled “Broadband for Development in the ESCWA Region”. The report highlights the vast development potential in the ESCWA region as it moves towards the broadband revolution. It is meant to help stakeholders in the development of broadband in the ESCWA region, including governments, regulators, operators, service providers and civil society at large.”

Thierry Albrand, Vice President Digital Bridge for Alcatel-Lucent, added “This report is the result of collaborative efforts between a worldwide leader in telecommunications, particularly in broadband equipment manufacturing, and a United Nations organization in charge of regional economic and social development. This collaboration fits perfectly our “broadband for all” vision and is an illustration of the multi–stakeholder approach advocated by the outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) dedicated to reduce the digital divide and bring the benefits of information and communication technologies to all.”