SANTO DOMINGO. - A forum of experts of the International Telecomm Union (ITU) held here suggested that the region’s governments and regulators grant tax exemptions, free lands, updated their licensing procedures and other benefits, to spur providers to take broadband as a social service to the rural areas of the Americas.

To the event held from November 25 to 27 attended around 150 participants from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Tanzania, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominican Republic, as well as representatives of the specialized offices of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the local lending service provider, the Dominican Telephone Company (CODETEL).

The panelists included Satya Gupta, of India’s Global Services; Indotel’s Javier Camargo, Edwin San Roman and Julian Gomez Pineda; Ignat Stanev, of Bulgaria’s International Telegraphic Congress (ITC); Bruno Ramos, of  Brazil’s ANATEL; Oscar Soto; Natasa Gospic, of Serbia’s University of Belgrade, Transport and Traffic Engineering Faculty, and Nelson Malaguti and Paolo Rosado, of the ITU.