The year 2008 began with high hopes for developing countries’ dreams to connect their citizens to information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Late 2008 saw the number of mobile subscribers rise to an all time high, reaching an estimated 4 billion worldwide. A growing array of broadband wireless systems were now available, opening the way for users in developing countries to access the Internet on mobile phones and other handheld devices. At the same time, more developing countries were deploying national fibre backbones and backhaul networks to transport their growing data-rich traffic. In addition, several new international submarine cable networks were set to connect developing countries to the global network of Internet backbones – just as a group of high-tech entrepreneurs were working to revive plans for a constellation of broadband satellites for the developing world. Indeed, the first half of 2008 presented perhaps the rosiest picture in recent years for the ICT sector in developing countries.