Since the dawn of the 21st century, government and industry initiatives to stimulate the diffusion of broadband links to the Internet have generated debates over the social and economic impact of this advance in technological capacity. This paper, based on a forum held at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), highlights the critical role that broadband Internet can play in reconfiguring access to people, services, information and technologies. The long-term societal implications of reshaping access for individuals, communities.