| Summary: | At the Arctic Council 2017 Ministerial meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, the Ministers established the Task Force on Improved Connectivity in the Arctic (TFICA) and gave it a mandate to compare the needs of those who live, operate, and work in the Arctic with available infrastructure, and to work with the telecommunications industry and the Arctic Economic Council to encourage the creation of the required infrastructure with an eye toward pan-Arctic solutions and to report to Ministers in 2019.1. As the Arctic is opening up, modern connectivity will underpin economic growth, and allow for the delivery of better services to Arctic peoples. By commissioning this report, Arctic states have delivered a strong message that further improvements to connectivity are needed. This work builds upon member states’ commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) to strive towards providing “universal and affordable access,” in order to help achieve sustainable development and to empower communities.
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