What can the industry itself do to bridge the Digital Divide?
Organizations with a vested interest in different wireless technologies frequently lobby for spectrum allocation more favourable to their cause. Often their voice is amplified by the industry organizations they themselves are active members of meaning that there is a danger of unilateralism or bipartisanship. As an international organization that represents all its members in equal measure, the ITU is essentially a community of its members, combining an impartial, global perspective and cooperative approach with the technical expertise drawn from hundreds of leading manufacturers, carriers and service providers. Usually standards are developed by companies ITU ensures it is a political and multi-lateral process with everyone having a voice. For example, a discussion on WiMAX would not just have the main technology proponents talking about how great the technology is. ITU experts would take a step back and analyse whether the technology would actually work for an operator given its exis
