European Commissioner Neelie Kroes again stressed the need for fast broadband and quality digital services in order to energise the economy, generate jobs, save on CO2 emissions, and save public money. The commissioner spokes ahead of the Broadband World Forum, set to take place at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam on 16-18 October. "Broadband is no longer considered a luxury, but instead is a 'fourth utility' for most people, " Kroes said. Speakers at the Forum will include Gerry Pennel, CIO of the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, who will explain how the event App and Wi-Fi connectivity played a key role in meeting visitor and athlete expectations. KPN CEO Eelco Blok and Google director of product management Hunter Walk will explore new broadband themes and the way broadband enabled media platforms such as YouTube are transformative for the human condition. The Forum will also feature App Workshop with Appsterdam, as well as other workshops. Live demos trucks will be provided by Cisco, Huawei, Cienna and Infinera.
