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World Broadband Association

Connecting the World by Bringing the Benefit of Broadband to All
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White Paper
Enriched service over converged Wi-Fi and cellular
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White Paper
Using Artificial Intelligence in the Predeployment Phases of Broadband Infrastructure
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White Paper
Net5.5G Best Practices and Deployment Guide
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White Paper
Gigacity Index 2025
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White Paper
Africa: Broadband Investment Guidebook
IMPORTANT
WEBINAR
May 13, 2025
How to Ensure a Successful Broadband Investment Strategy in Africa

What is the World Broadband Association?

The World Broadband Association (WBBA) is a multilateral, broadband industry-led association, providing leadership for digital broadband across the next decade.

Our objective is to overcome industry challenges and drive the provision of networks and services for all. We aim to accelerate the healthy development of the global telecom industry, creating sustainable benefits for stakeholders, end users, and society.

The WBBA is an independent legal entity registered in Switzerland.

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and Nanjing University Join the WBBA
January 5, 2026
End of year message: Thank You to our World Broadband Association Members around the world for making 2025 such a success!
December 23, 2025
China Telecom’s Cloud-Network Integration Pilot Platform Accelerates Government and Enterprise Digital Transformation
December 10, 2025

Events

Convening the global broadband industry to deliver to bring you regular, global telecom and
broadband industry-leading events across global hubs, both online and in-person.
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November 10, 2025
EVENT
EVENT
BDC Cape Town 2025
AI for Net5.5G and Industry Best Practices
October 30, 2025
WEBINAR
EVENT
AI for Net5.5G and Industry Best Practices
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October 14, 2025
Event
EVENT
Broadband Development Congress 2025

Knowledge Center

We deliver industry leading whitepapers offering actionable insights, recommendations, and analysis of emerging trends to address industry challenges.
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Beyond Connectivity: Transforming Latin America's Digital Landscape Through Investments In Broadband and the Cloud
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
November, 2025
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Europe: Broadband Investment Guidebook
October, 2025
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BROADBAND AND CLOUD DEVELOPMENT INDEX REPORT 2025
October, 2025
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AI FOR NET5.5G AND NET5.5G FOR AI
October, 2025
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TEST ANALYSIS OF WBBA & GSMA VOICE OVER WI-FI
October, 2025
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Achieving Broadband Excellence: 2025 Best Practices Case Studies
October, 2025
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Fiber Development Index (FDI) Analysis 2025
October, 2025
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Beyond Broadband: Revolutionizing CPN Connectivity
Working Group 6 – CPN
June, 2025
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Circular Economies and the Evolution of Fixed Broadband
Working Group 3 - Environmental Sustainability
June, 2025
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Expanding Advanced Fixed Broadband Networks For All
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
June, 2025
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Africa: Broadband Investment Guidebook
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
April, 2025
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Gigacity Index 2025
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
February, 2025
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Net5.5G Best Practices and Deployment Guide
Working Group 4 - Network Architecture and Technology
February, 2025
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Using Artificial Intelligence in the Predeployment Phases of Broadband Infrastructure
Working Group 7
February, 2025
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Enriched service over converged Wi-Fi and cellular
February, 2025
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The Role of AI in Fixed Networks Sustainability
Working Group 3 - Environmental Sustainability
November, 2024
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Fiber Development Index Analysis 2024
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
October, 2024
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North America: Broadband Investment Outlook
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
October, 2024
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Broadband and Cloud Development Index 2024 Report
Working Group 5 - Broadband and Cloud Development Index
October, 2024
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The Impact on Broadband Networks of Deploying Metaverse Applications at Scale
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
September, 2024
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Network Evolution For the 5.5G And 6G Era
Working Group 4 - Network Architecture and Technology
June, 2024
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Subjective Analysis of WBBA WG4 Cloud-Network Convergence Proof-of-Concept Project Test Report
Working Group 4 - Network Architecture and Technology
June, 2024
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WBBA Broadband Investment Guidebook 2024
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
May, 2024
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China Telecom’s Whole-home WiFi service
Blog
May, 2024
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Gamtel National Broadband Network investment case study
Blog
May, 2024
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Gigacity: Unleashing the power of connection and innovation
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
April, 2024
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Fixed Networks Energy Efficiency Toolkit
Working Group 3 - Environmental Sustainability
March, 2024
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WBBA Broadband Cloud Development Index Identifies Global Leaders and Best Practice
Working Group 5 - Broadband and Cloud Development Index
October, 2023
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The Importance of Greater Broadband Investment
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
September, 2023
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Driving the future: Understanding the landscape of Cloud Network Convergence 2023
Working Group 4 - Network Architecture and Technology
August, 2023
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Next-generation broadband roadmap 2023 to 2030
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
July, 2023
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Broadband Investment Demands and Trends 2023
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
July, 2023
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Evaluating the Telecom Industry's Sustainability Potential
Working Group 3 - Environmental Sustainability
July, 2023
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Sustainability in Telecom Service Providers' Strategy
Working Group 3 - Environmental Sustainability
October, 2022
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Broadband Case Study Success Stories
Working Group 2 - Broadband Advocacy
September, 2022
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Next-Generation Broadband Roadmap
Working Group 1 - Generational Roadmap
August, 2022

About the World Broadband Association?

The World Broadband Association (WBBA) is a multilateral, broadband industry-led association, providing leadership for digital broadband across the next decade.

Our objective is to overcome industry challenges and drive the provision of networks and services for all. We aim to accelerate the healthy development of the global telecom industry, creating sustainable benefits for stakeholders, end users, and society.

The WBBA is an independent legal entity registered in Switzerland.

Working Groups

Discover the Working Groups

Generational Roadmap

By better understanding the scale, nature and timing of the future demand for services and applications, the first World Broadband Association working group is responsible for the Next Generation Broadband Roadmap.

 
Broadband Advocacy
The WBBA has a working group dedicated to developing and advocating a set of arguments for why it is important and beneficial to invest in developing broadband in any given region.
 
Environmental Sustainability

Embracing sustainability as a core element of corporate strategy offers great potential for the telecom industry, enabling companies to mitigate risks, improve operational efficiencies, enhance their reputation, access capital and drive innovation.

 
Network Technology
The fourth WBBA working group is focused on understanding the landscape of cloud network convergence, assessing and advising on how to achieve “cloud and network as one” and realise congestion-free new transport infrastructure with better network elastic scalability, enhanced intelligence, and true deterministic experience.
 
WBBA Broadband and Cloud Development Index

World Broadband Association’s mission to drive social-economic change required a robust understanding of the state, scale and nature of the digital divide.

 

Customer Premises Network – CPN

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape marked by the rise of UHD video, metaverse, online education, healthcare, and smart manufacturing, the demand for robust home and business broadband services has never been greater.

 

Artificial Intelligence – AI

Experience the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it revolutionizes life and work, both locally and globally. Stay ahead of the curve and embrace the dynamic shifts in our economy and society with confidence. Discover how AI is shaping the future today.

 
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Key Messages

Advanced cloud technology together with superior end-to-end connectivity can enable a wider and more sophisticated range of applications that can in turn drive greater innovation, efficiency, and wealth.
Both enterprises and broader industry ecosystems are actively looking at broadband’s role in enabling their digital transformation. Most respondents to the WBBA’s Thought Leadership Enterprise Survey stated that they need faster and more reliable internet to run their business applications.
Certainly, in the short to medium term, xDSL, cable modem, fixed-wireless access (FWA), and satellite are all expected to have a role in the delivery of broadband services. However, full-fiber access will always deliver the optimum experience and remains the most sustainable and cost-efficient option.
There is a danger therefore for governments to base their cost-benefit analysis on a national economic view. However, such analysis will miss all the social benefits, as well as the more local economic benefits, that advanced broadband networks can bring. Governments must take all benefits into account, including more localized ones, when creating national broadband policies.
However, future applications will not only need ultra-high-speed services but also ultra-low latency and jitter, with high levels of reliability and consistency if they are to function properly. Countries with networks that are not capable of meeting such criteria will be left behind as the world moves to the next phase of internet applications such as the “metaverse.”
Fiber networks are significantly more environmentally friendly than equivalent copper-based networks, and can help support other green initiatives such as greater working from home, the use of advanced videoconferencing, etc. Fiber-based networks also require less maintenance due to there being less active equipment in the field, and can therefore reduce operators’ operational costs.
With rollout of new access technologies like 5G and Fiber, IPv6 reached more than 30% penetration worldwide (APNIC) and is rapidly growing. IPv6 Enhanced technologies, including segment routing over IPv6, per flow monitoring and AI, enable a multitude of objects and people to be flexibly connected to the proper services, granting end-to-end quality of experience.
Based on the responses from the WBBA Thought Leadership Survey, respondents believed, on average, this coverage could be expanded to approximately 70% through private investment. It is clear that government support will be needed to get to 100%.
However, a lack of data on the available infrastructure, access to key infrastructure such as ducts and in-building networks, and a lack of understanding both internally and externally are also key barriers to further investment.
Respondents to the WBBA survey stated that a reduction in regulatory barriers, greater flexibility in partnership arrangements, copper switch-off regulations, and setting out minimum service standards for network installations, would all take priority over financial support.

Recommendations

All countries must look to maximize the potential of broadband. This means creating long-term national broadband plans that evolve around three basic phases of broadband adoption:

In order to help facilitate this evolution to advanced broadband networks, government organizations and regulators must consider:

Making the Recommendations a Reality

Operators, enterprises, vendors, regulators, and policy-makers should seek to create a collective voice, to evangelize, advocate, co-create, and partner in the drive toward the provision of ultra-broadband networks and services for all. Organizations such as the WBBA can help by influencing key stakeholders through discussion, education, and promotion. Specifically, the WBBA should aim to: