25. Considers it necessary to help Member States ensure that the inhabitants of these regions have full access to the sources of the information and communication media provided by new technologies, e.g. broadband technology and wireless technologies, including satellite, and, in particular, access to broadband infrastructure so as to promote economic growth and better administration through the digitisation of services; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all inhabitants of the ORs have access to broadband internet by 2013;

12. Considers it necessary to help Member States ensure that the inhabitants of these regions have full access to the sources of the information and communication media provided by new technologies, e.g. broadband technology and wireless technologies, including satellite, and, in particular, access to broadband infrastructure so as to promote economic growth and better administration through the digitisation of services; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all inhabitants of the ORs have access to broadband internet by 2013;

Early MSS offerings were limited to low speed voice, fax and data but in the past ten years the capabilities and capacities of the systems have grown to include two-way multimedia, satellite news gathering and broad band internet access.

As far as the decision on mobile satellite services is concerned, it is worth pointing out that the coverage which these pan-European systems offer will make it possible to improve broadband coverage in rural and remote areas, thus reducing the geographical digital divide.

13. Considers that new technology offers interesting and cheaper solutions for remote, inaccessible and rural areas, as wireless links and mobile and satellite communications may deliver broadband to areas traditionally excluded by fixed-line networks; notes that these new technologies must be taken into account when radio spectrum is allocated;

In specific terms, it will support the upgrade and efficiency of technology for optical fibre access networks, mobile broadband wireless services (beyond 3G), broadband access satellite systems (also taking into account the needs of the Galileo system), convergence of fixed and mobile networks, including the transition to the next generation Internet Protocol (IPv6) and take account of security and privacy issues (wireless, always-on) etc.