What the industry says

""The only way to deliver economically viable broadband services to large swathes of India's population will be via wireless networks, operating in one of the low-frequency bands to be vacated by the switchover to digital television. It is important that this band is internationally harmonised, and this WRC offers our best chance of achieving this. Without harmonisation, consumers will have to pay much more for access devices."
Mr. Sunil Mittal
Chairman & Group CEO
Bharti Enterprises

"Mobile broadband networks have the potential to bring the benefits of high-speed Internet access to a much wider community, just as GSM has brought voice calls and text messages to 2.5 billion users worldwide," said Phuthuma Nhleko, Group President and CEO of MTN Group. "To make this happen we need spectrum below 900 MHz to be made available in a harmonised way in as many countries as possible. This WRC offers the best chance of achieving such harmonisation and I fully support the GSMA's work at this conference to secure that."
Phuthuma Nhleko
Group President and CEO
MTN Group

"A historic opportunity to facilitate vibrant, spectrum-based opportunities for both consumers and wireless providers,"
Jonathan Adelstein
Commissioner
FCC

"The WRC is a golden opportunity for the World's governments to act together to make it possible for broadband to become a mass-market service in both developed and developing countries. With the right spectrum, mobile networks could enable high-speed Internet access to become available in the many places fixed networks don't reach."
Arve Johansen
Deputy CEO
Telenor

"The private sector has gone in and, with spectrum allocation, with competition, has been able to bring inexpensive communications to all of the people."
Craig Barrett
UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development

"This spectrum range could provide the basis bridging the digital divide in rural areas . . . this would mean more competition, more services and more choice. . . .we need cheap, wide band services for all. We cannot be complacent about this: Lack of broadband access widens not only the digital but also the economic and social divides."
Viviane Reding
European Commissioner
Information Society and Media

"When you give access to a human being, you unleash the power of human innovation and entrepreneurship. It is really so powerful - all they need is access."
Mohsen Khalil
Director of Global ICT
The World Bank Group

"Mobile networks, not fixed, are the only economically-viable way to bring broadband services to most of the world's people. But the mobile industry can only deliver broadband services across rural areas if it has access to much more spectrum in the low-frequency bands."
Naguib Sawiris
CEO
Orascom Telecom

"ICT is a catalyst, an enabler in all sectors of the economy. We don't need charity for the ICT field. We need pure business sense."
Dr Hamadoun Touré
Secretary-General
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)