The Internet Society organize a conference in Washington D.C. on connecting the unconnected. Internet 2020: The Next Billion Users

The Internet Society, in collaboration with the Greater Washington DC Chapter is holding a regional conference in Washington, DC on Thursday, 29 April 2010. The conference, part of the Internet Society's INET series, will be focused on connecting the unconnected with the theme of INTERNET 2020 – The next billion users.

Today, more than a billion people use the Internet on a regular basis. Within ten years, that number could double—or triple—as smartphones, netbooks, and other devices become more affordable and new networks connect underserved communities. This conference will explore the most exciting new Internet applications in countries around the world, feature leading Internet visionaries helping to shape the future of the Internet, and debate what can—or must—be done to “connect the next billion” and ensure that the Internet continues to be a platform for innovation.

INET Washington DC will bring together regional and international policy and technical experts, government, network operators, the private sector and the user community. The conference will explore the technologies that will connect the next billion users, discuss how to instill trust in the new technology, and explore how users are using the technology. We will also include technology and policy “slams” to encourage participants to think creatively together about the best technologies and policies that will change the way the Internet develops in the coming years. Finally, INET Washington DC will provide a launching pad for our DC Chapter activities for months to come.

Registration is free, however, seating is limited and pre-registration by 16 April is required. Morning/afternoon refreshments and lunch will be provided.

To register click here

A special report from "The Economist" on telecoms in emerging markets

Countries like Haiti have already benefited hugely from mobile phones. Mobile-phone access will soon be almost universal. The next task is to do the same for the Internet.

The reason why mobile phones are so valuable to people in the emerging world is that they are providing access to telecommunications for the very first time, rather than just being portable adjuncts to existing fixed-line phones, as in the rich world. For an American or a Canadian it was incremental. In Haiti it’s revolutionary. According to a recent study, adding an extra ten mobile phones per 100 people in a typical developing country boosts growth in GDP per person by 0.8 percentage points.

In 2000 the developing countries accounted for around one-quarter of the world’s 700 million or so mobile phones. By the beginning of 2009 their share had grown to three-quarters of a total of about 3.6 billion mobile phone users.

At current rates of growth it seems likely that within five years, and certainly within ten, everyone in the world who wants a mobile phone will probably have one. High-speed networks will be widespread in about every countries.

The next task is to ensure that everyone who wants to can use mobile technology to access the Internet. This will be done using low-cost laptops, or netbooks, connecting to the Internet via mobile networks. There could be 1.4 billion mobile-broadband subscribers by 2014.

Internet will be the highway of the masses!

To read the complete article in Economist.com click on this link