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World-class broadband

Ewan Sutherland (LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa)

Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance

ISSN: 2398-5038

Article publication date: 8 May 2017

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the aspiration to world-class broadband in a number of countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study includes a review of the various approaches taken by countries, consultants and intergovernmental organisations.

Findings

The term “world class” is used relatively vaguely, without any significant link to long-term improvements in national performance, rather to an aspiration to being close to the leaders.

Research limitations/implications

The use of benchmarking in lobbying needs further study, as does the quality of lobbying.

Practical implications

Governments need to make explicit their policy aims in addition to any world-class headline and need to aim for design improvement in their governance systems.

Originality/value

This is the first review of benchmarking of broadband at the national level.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was partly inspired by the Scottish Government policy objective and by a submission to the Scottish Parliament. A presentation on this topic was made to the Newcastle Business School, for which opportunity the author would like to thank Jason Whalley.

Citation

Sutherland, E. (2017), "World-class broadband", Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 189-209. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-12-2016-0055

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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