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Broadband Internet is accelerating the process of regional integration across Asia and the Pacific. As an engine of economic growth and a valuable source of innovation, it is bringing transformative opportunities to some of the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society. Yet more than 96 per cent of people living in South and South-West Asia still lack access to high-speed, reliable and affordable broadband Internet.
In an effort to address the persistent digital divide that hampers social inclusion in the region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) brought 40 ICT policy-makers and experts from 13 countries together for an expert consultation in Paro, Bhutan this week to share their policies and practices on broadband and international connectivity, especially in the context of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS).
The AP-IS initiative, led by ESCAP, aims to increase the availability and affordability of broadband Internet across Asia and the Pacific by strengthening the underlying Internet infrastructure in the region. The project encompasses subregional policy analysis and regional Internet maps to support countries in their efforts to develop a seamless, regional information and communication space.
Ms. Shamika Sirimanne, Director of ESCAP’s Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division said: “Broadband infrastructure is typically concentrated in urban markets that are commercially viable for telecom operators, while rural markets are often neglected or left underserved. This has resulted in disparities across the region in terms of international fibre connectivity.”
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SOURCE & COPYRIGHT: UNESCAP
PHOTO: UNESCAP