Increasingly, governments are clear about the goal: they want broadband as soon as possible. But they are also clear that they don‘t want trickle-down broadband that serves the rich – while the poor only get access once wealthy ― early adopters reshape it to fit their needs. They may say that they want broadband to ― close the digital divide (ASEAN) or they may say they want broadband to serve rural as well as urban users (Australia). In DDI‘s view, these expressions are all ducking the important topic: meaningfulness. In fact, governments want broadband that produces impacts that are not just equitable, not just ethical, and not just affordable but meaningful: meaningful to users, meaningful to communities, meaningful to society. But what does meaningful mean?

Meaningful can best be understood as the sum of its three underlying parts: affordability, usability and empowerment. It is a wholly interdependent, three-pronged structure whose levels must all be functional to attain its full potential.