GIW 2017

Digital economies can create new economic opportunities that help lift people out of poverty. However, for these marketplaces to be truly broad-based and promote widespread economic participation, they require a foundation of digital infrastructure, such as inexpensive mobile phones and affordable broadband coverage, national identification systems, and interoperable payment systems that reach the last-mile. This digital infrastructure can also serve as a platform for innovative business models that deliver new services to untapped consumer markets in ways never before possible. Both the private sector and development organizations such as USAID have an important role to play in the development of this digital infrastructure. This session will highlight different ways in which both government leadership and private sector investment in digital infrastructure is helping to unleash a wave of innovation that drives economic growth and is harnessed to tackle some of the world’s most intractable development challenges.

Watch the video here.