Recent World Bank research, presented in the Information and Communication for Development 2009 report, suggests that the contribution of broadband to economic growth is indeed substantial, and may be more profound than comparable narrowband or voice-based ICTs, providing a boost of 1.38 percentage points on GDP growth in developing countries for every ten percentage points increase in broadband penetration.

Broadband is a General Purpose Technology which is having a major impact on the way in which we live and work. Companies are using broadband to improve productivity through remote monitoring, logistics management and online procurement. They are also using broadband to provide services such as media content, online shopping and electronic banking services.