Denis D. O'Brien

For Better or Worse? Technology's Transformative Role in Developing Regions

Paul Kedrosky, Joe Mucheru, Denis D. O'Brien, Hilton Romanski, Kentaro Toyama, Stephanie von Friedeburg, Ross Lajeunesse, Thomas Witt, Kate Ambrose, Samia Malham

A panel of global technology leaders and policymakers debated the complexities of bridging the digital divide in developing regions, highlighting the tension between optimistic leapfrog theories and the stark realities of infrastructure costs, regulation, and inequality. Key discussions centered on sustainable funding models, such as reconciling Over-The-Top revenue with telecommunications maintenance expenses, and the critical necessity of building parallel "analog foundations" including skills training and governance to ensure inclusive growth. The consensus underscored that achieving connectivity for the next 1.5 billion people requires $450 billion in coordinated public-private investment, integrated infrastructure planning, and equitable revenue-sharing mechanisms to prevent a two-speed global economy.