broadband strategies handbook.pdf - Khazar University

that since 2005 many countries have moved toward citizen-centric government(that is, measuring user satisfaction and user friendliness) with themainstreaming of e-services via integrated multichannel service deliverystrategies (OECD 2008).A major goal of developing such services is to make government informationmore readily available as well as to increase transparency of governmentactivities. The Netherlands is a leader in creating digital content andoffering it via online government services (Atkinson, Correa, and Hedlund2008, 39). In 2006, in an effort to support the development of broadband,the Dutch government decided to give all citizens a personalized webpage—thepersonal Internet page—where they could access their governmentdocuments and social security information as well as apply for grantsand licenses. In the United States, the E-Government Act of 2002 wasdesigned to “promote use of the Internet and other information technologiesto provide increased opportunities for citizen participation in Government(Public Law 107-347, section 2b (2) Dec. 17, 2002).” These opportunitiesrange from online tax-filing options to Social Security Administration applicationforms and, more recently, to electronic passport applications. Inaddition, the U.S. government embraced e-government as an educationaltool, particularly in providing online education programs for new immigrantsseeking citizenship and for school support programs within theDepartment of Education. In Colombia, the 2010 Plan Vive Digital aspiresto create a digital ecosystem by 2014 that would achieve several demandrelatedgoals (box 6.7). 30As described in chapter 3, governments may need to reform certain legalpractices in order to conduct e-government transactions electronically. Forexample, laws may need to be modernized to define and recognize electronicsignatures, electronic filings, and certification of electronic documents.These reforms will make it possible for a broad range of transactionsto be conducted over broadband networks. Such reforms must also beaccompanied by awareness campaigns to help users to gain knowledge ofe-government services and applications. OECD governments and industry,for example, have developed campaigns to educate consumers about risks toInternet security, instructed consumers on how to protect themselvesagainst fraudulent practices, and put into place regulatory measures to promotea culture of security.HealthE-health involves a variety of services and tools provided by both the publicand private sectors, including electronic health records and telemedicine.Broadband health care services and applications have the potential to lowerDriving Demand for Broadband Networks and Services 275