As part of a 2021  Inter-American Development Bank report, Vernonburg Group created a framework for the development of national broadband plans (NBP) by Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) governments. All LAC countries should have an NBP to serve as a blueprint for addressing and reducing digital inequality. However, some countries have not adopted one, and those that have need to make various updates and improvements to their plans.

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The countries that have made the most progress in increasing the availability, adoption, and use of information and communications technologies have the following elements of their NBPs in common: 1) good governance; 2) clear goals; 3) regular assessment of broadband availability and adoption; 4) supply-side interventions; 5) demand-stimulation activities; and 6) monitoring and evaluation programs.

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To further inform the recommendations, the national broadband planning and sectoral development efforts of four countries are examined: 1) Malaysia, 2) New Zealand, 3) Spain, and 4) the United States. Additionally, an overview of digital technologies available to achieve connectivity goals is provided.

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Although the timeline will vary between countries, this report finds that an NBP that incorporates the six elements above could achieve the following targets in the LAC region:

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• 4G mobile networks covering 99 percent of the population
• 5G mobile coverage in major urban settlements and along major roads and railways
• All anchor institutions (primary and secondary health-care facilities, schools, centers for administrative service provision, postal offices, youth centers, etc.) with at least 1 Gbps symmetrical fiber connections
• All households with access to fixed broadband services delivering at least 100 Mbps download capacity and 20 Mbps upload capacity, with low latency and no data caps
• At least 70 percent of youth and adults having basic digital skills

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