 Connecting humanity. What will it take to connect the world by 2030? For those living in the world's handful of highly connected countries, it can come as a shock to learn that nearly half the global population aged 10 years and over has never used the internet. Many of the unconnected 3 billion live in rural and remote areas where connectivity remains a challenge. A disproportionate number are women, particularly in Africa and South Asia where the digital gender divide is particularly marked. And of course most are poor, lack basic literacy and with only limited digital exposure see little value in getting online. With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing so many essential services online, we face a real and present danger of those without broadband access being left ever further behind. With just 10 years remaining to achieve the sustainable development goals, ITU's timely new report asks what will it take to connect the world? How much investment is needed? How can we mobilise the unprecedented levels of financing needed to extend networks to unserved communities? According to ITU's comprehensive new study approximately 428 billion US dollars is required to connect the remaining 3 billion people to broadband internet by 2030. Roughly 90 percent of the required investments are directly tied to the need to roll out and maintain broadband networks to support the additional connected user base and related traffic. Around 40 percent of total requirements would have to be allocated to capital expenditure build-outs for broadband last mile and transmission networks capable of reaching and serving at least 90 percent of the target population. Broadly speaking the distribution of investment requirements is a function of the overall size of the unconnected population. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for around half of the unconnected population and 55 percent of required investments. Likewise nearly half of the investment required will need to be allocated to low and lower middle income economies. But investing in infrastructure alone is not sufficient. Data tells us that 70 percent of the global unconnected population lives within a 4G coverage area yet approximately 80 percent of those covered by a 4G network in sub-Saharan Africa do not have a connection. Complementary initiatives beyond infrastructure are needed to connect people already covered by broadband networks. These include programs to increase and support device affordability, affordability of data and services, digital skills programs and content with a special focus on closing the digital gender gap. As the new report highlights having innovative policy and regulatory frameworks is critical to achieving universal affordable broadband connectivity by 2030. Establishing an enabling policy and regulatory environment is essential to foster predictability and consequently attract long-term investment and support the digital economy especially in low and lower and middle income countries. ITU has provided extensive guidance to policymakers around the world on how to approach policy and regulatory challenges and opportunities. The golden rules for achieving broadband adoption include market approach, infrastructure sharing, competition, foreign participation slash ownership and quality of service. No single actor alone can achieve the ambitious goal of connecting everyone to universal affordable broadband connectivity by 2030. It will require an unprecedented multi-stakeholder effort to finance this goal. This study recommends that private investments be primarily focused on infrastructure while public investments be focused on both infrastructure and skills development. Doreen Bogdan Martin director of the ITU telecommunication development bureau said, while this achieving universal connectivity is an ambitious aim it is in no way an unachievable one. It is my hope that as part of ITU's connect 2030 agenda efforts this major new ITU contribution will provide clear coherent evidence-based guidance for countries that will help them accelerate efforts to reach unconnected communities so that equality of opportunity is finally within reach of all.