Meaningful Broadband Explained

Meaningful Broadband is an ethical model for closing the digital divide, authored by Professor Craig Warren Smith. Its was adopted by two nations -Thailandia and Indonesia, and it was later introduced into China. In 2023, the model was enhance to be renamed Meaningful Artificial Intelligence (MAI), aimed at bringing AI ecosystems to low-income tiers of the Global South. Both Meaningful Broadband and MAI are projects of Digital Divide[1] Institute.

After being introduced to Asian[2] nations, the meaningful technology approach is how being adapted to include AI-enable best practice for low-income[3] populations across the Global South.

The approach to meaning technology governace has two aspects:

  1. Infrastructure reforms needed for low-income populations that make beneficial use of last internet.
  2. A suite of AI innovations that help nonurban populations benefit from AI-enabled education, finance and employmentt reforms.

Both projects are initiatives of Digital Divine Institute, a US-based nonprofit organization co-chaired Ilham A Habibie, a civic leader and govermment official in Indonesia and Professor Smith.

History

Meaningful broadband was authored by Craig Warren Smith,[4] Chairman of Digital Divide Institute, in 2001 when he had a joint appointment as visiting scholar overseen by Professor Jeff Sachs at Harvard and Professor Alex "Sandy" Pentland at MIT.[5] Later, in 2003 he furthered meaningful broadband as a visiting professor of Harvard Kennedy School of Government teaching science and technology deployed to National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. At that time, Smith was invited by Arun Shourie,[6] ICT Minister of India and Chairman of the Asia Pacific ICT Ministers Association, to introduce Meaningful Broadband to ministers to India and eventually to government ministers by lecturing in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, and Malaysia.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

In 2006, the first nation to formally adopt Meaningful Broadband as national policy was Thailand. The Thai telecommunications regulatory agency, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC),[17] formulated plans to establish a meaningful broadband ecosystem in a remote province of Thailand called Maha Sarakham and to activate a "meaningful technology index" that would be an ethics based regulatory strategy that would award spectrum to projects that score high on the index.[18] In Thailand, The Center for Science, Technology, and Society continues to incorporate programming in Meaningful Broadband in its sector in applied ethics at Chulalongkorn University.[19]

In the following year, Republic of Indonesia began a 15-year embrace of Meaningful Broadband, led by Ilham A Habibie, son of a former President of Indonesia and current director of the government’s National ICT Council.[20] [21] Since 2012, Meaningful Broadband has been tested among various local regencies in Indonesia, supported by a technical team from World Bank Indonesia.[22]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.digital-divide-institute.org/dd-defined
  2. Web site: Craig Warren Smith on the Second Wireless Revolution: Bringing Broadband to the "Next Two Billion" in Asia's Emerging Markets . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002044/http://change.washington.edu/2011/10/craig-warren-smith-on-the-second-wireless-revolution-bringing-broadband-to-the-next-two-billion-in-asias-emerging-markets/ . 2017-02-02 . 10 March 2021 . Change by University of Washington.
  3. Book: Smith . Craig Warren . Meaningful Broadband Report 2.0 Broadband Thailand 2015 . 2015 . Chulalongkorn University . Thailand . 23 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404150055/https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/50210418/broadband-thailand-2015-center-for-ethics-of-science-and- . 4 April 2023 . live.
  4. Web site: Presentation on The Optimal Deployment of Broadband in Asia: Thailand's "meaningful broadband" model, by Digital Divide Institute. 10 March 2021. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. 28 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428103541/https://www.unescap.org/resources/presentation-optimal-deployment-broadband-asia-thailand%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cmeaningful-broadband%E2%80%9D-model. live.
  5. Web site: Old Friends. 10 March 2021. Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. 26 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026081052/https://cyber.harvard.edu/itg/about/fellows.html. live.
  6. Web site: 2016-05-06 . EXCLUSIVE: Arun Shourie says 'President' Modi is running a one-man show. 11 brutal things he said . 2024-06-10 . India Today . en.
  7. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Craig.pdf
  8. Web site: 2011-08-04 . Ethics, Wellbeing and Meaningful Broadband . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  9. Web site: 2010-11-15 . Meaningful Broadband Ethics . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  10. Web site: 2010-09-07 . Article on Meaningful Broadband . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  11. Web site: 2010-06-08 . Meaningful Broadband Report . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  12. Web site: 2009-11-10 . Final Program, Meaningful Broadband Forum . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  13. Web site: 2009-11-07 . Meaningful Broadband Forum . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  14. Web site: 2009-10-11 . Model of “Meaningful Broadband” . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  15. Web site: 2009-07-03 . Thai Telcos Join With Regulators to Establish “Meaningful Broadband” . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  16. Web site: a ::says . Meaningful Broadband for Indonesia » :: B. r y P. o e n y . 2009-06-15 . What is the Meaningful Broadband Working Group? . 2024-06-10 . Center for Science, Technology, and Society . en.
  17. News: 26 November 2009. ศุภชัยชงบรอดแบรนด์ เชื่อ5ปีโต8แสนล้าน. MGR Online. iBusiness. 12 March 2021. 4 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230404150055/https://mgronline.com/daily/detail/9520000144032. live.
  18. Web site: Meaningful Broadband Research. 24 March 2021. Center for Science, Technology, and Society Chulalongkorn University. Chulalongkorn University. 9 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211109104831/https://csts.arts.chula.ac.th/Meaningful_Broadband_Research.html. live.
  19. Web site: International Workshop Ethics, Wellbeing and Meaningful Broadband. 14 March 2021. Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw). 2011. 4 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230404150108/https://www.ilaw.or.th/node/1090. live.
  20. News: 19 September 2020. MEANINGFUL BROADBAND WORKING GROUP TO FOCUS ON BIG DATA FOR E-AGRICULTURE. WANTIKNAS. Indonesia National ICT Council. News. 14 March 2021. 27 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127061436/http://www.wantiknas.go.id/en/berita/meaningful-broadband-working-group-membawa-big-data-dan-e-agrikultur-ke-dalam-new-normal. live.
  21. News: Wardani. Agustin Setyo. 26 September 2019. Wantiknas dan BAKTI Luncurkan Meaningful Broadband Working Group. Liputan 6. Tech News. 10 March 2021. 4 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210204194804/https://www.liputan6.com/tekno/read/4072565/wantiknas-dan-bakti-luncurkan-meaningful-broadband-working-group. live.
  22. News: 13 July 2013. Indonesia Rumuskan Aksi Meaningful Broadband. IndoTelko. News. 14 March 2021. 4 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230404150102/https://www.indotelko.com/read/1373675177/indonesia-rumuskan-aksi-meaningful-broadband. live.

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