Brussels, 07/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - At a conference on new technologies on 5 and 6 April in Killarney, Anne McNamara, President of the EU Committee of the Regions Commission for Culture and Education stressed in a press release that every region in the EU, including the poorest and most remote areas, should have the opportunity to participate in the "broadband revolution". "It is essential that broadband infrastructure is widely available to al citizens at affordable prices if we are to bridge the widening digital divide" she said.
Her comments were echoed by Dermot Ahern, the Irish Minster for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (and President of the EU Telecommunications Council), who said that the widespread availability of broadband was the "single most important factor in the promotion of competitiveness and productivity" as well as being "an enabler of prosperity, education and social inclusion". The Minister added "Broadband is not a discretionary extra - it is a non-negotiable necessity for the 21st century. It is our printing press, our steam engine and our electricity volt - all rolled into one. It is the bridge that at once makes us a global village and a space of infinite diversity".
Also participating Michael G. Tutty, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, (EIB) told the conference that a key priority for the bank was implementation of the 'Innovation 2010 Initiative' (i2i), a 17 billion euro lending programme aimed at promoting knowledge, growth and employment. One of its main missions is encouraging broadband access. Claudio Mastracci, from the European Space Agency (ESA) highlighted the role that satellite technology can play in overcoming the digital divide.