This report summarizes the key outcomes and conclusions emerging from the Broadband Leadership Summit. The Broadband Leadership Summit at ITU Telecom World 2011 took place from 24 to 25 October 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Summit which was co-hosted by ITU Telecom and the Broadband Commission for Digital Development convened over 330 leaders from industry, government and academia. The Summit focused on the role of broadband as critical modern infrastructure driving economic growth, trade and productivity, especially in light of today’s challenging economic climate. Immediately prior to the Summit, the Broadband Commission for Digital Development endorsed the “Broadband Challenge”, recognizing communication as ‘a human need and a right’ and calling on governments and private industry to work together to develop the innovative policy frameworks, business models and financing arrangements needed to facilitate growth in access to broadband worldwide.

At the Summit, the Broadband Commission also issued a set of four new targets that countries around the world should strive to meet in order to ensure their populations can fully participate in tomorrow’s emerging knowledge societies.