Despite the great progress in deepening regional connectivity through information and communication technologies, Asia and the Pacific is still the most digitally divided region in the world, with less than eight per cent of the population connected to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet. As a result, millions of people are shut out from transformative digital opportunities in education, health and financial services. Women and girls, in particular, have lower levels of access to broadband Internet and other knowledge-enhancing technologies. The Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway initiative aims to increase the availability and affordability of broadband Internet for all people across Asia and the Pacific.
Ms. Tiziana Bonapace, Director of IDD of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in cooperation with Mr Askar Zhambakin, Vice Minister of Ministry of Digital Development and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan virtually co-hosted consultations with SPECA country experts on the above theme on 15th November 2021.
Asia-Pacific, home to over half the world’s population, is the largest and most diverse region of the globe. Four of its countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan) also account for more than half of the world’s mobile subscriber base. Yet a significant part of the population remains unconnected.
The current global pandemic has made the role of digital technologies—and the urgent need to provide affordable and accessible connectivity to everyone—stark.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a critical role in society towards sustainable development - providing social services and promoting citizen participation. Increasingly, CSOs are relying on digital technologies for their operations. However, despite their increasing reliance on digital technology, especially during the ongoing pandemic, CSOs continue to lack the resources, expertise, capability, and influence to manage their cybersecurity effectively.
Internet exchange points (IXPs) play a vital role in bringing better, faster, and more affordable Internet to people. Though IXPs have grown considerably in the last two decades in Asia-Pacific, that growth has been uneven.
Internet Society in partnership with the Asia Pacific Internet Exchange Association (APIX) carry out a study to explore how different exchanges fit into their local environment to find best strategies and approaches they can employ to grow more efficiently.
