The gap between advanced and emerging countries in fixed broadband access is widening, and unless targeted policy interventions are put in place, the trend threatens to derail future development opportunities.
These were among the findings of a new study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The report, ”State of ICT in Asia and the Pacific 2016: Uncovering the Widening Broadband Divide,” noted that 74.89% of total fixed broadband subscriptions in Asia and the Pacific are concentrated in East and Northeast Asia, followed by South and Southwest Asia (9.77%), North and Central Asia (7.68%), Southeast Asia (5.74%) and the Pacific (1.93%) based on 2015 data.
Findings also indicate that less than 2% of the population had adopted fixed broadband in as many as 20% in Asia and the Pacific, widening the digital divide between high-income and low-income countries at an alarming speed.
“As a result of this digital divide, millions of people are shut out from transformative digital opportunities in education, health, business and financial services,” United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr. Shamshad Akhtar.
She emphasized that that broadband connectivity is a critical foundation for the digital economy and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the region.
In particular, the report shows that e-commerce strongly correlates with access to fixed broadband connectivity, suggesting that enhancing ICT infrastructure connectivity would increase business-to-business e-commerce in the region.
The report also examined emerging trends in developing online content, differential patterns of mobile broadband expansion and usage, as well as the impact of regulatory quality and investment in broadband adoption.
“In response to the widening gap, ESCAP is promoting the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) initiative, to increase the availability and affordability of broadband Internet across Asia and the Pacific, by strengthening the underlying Internet infrastructure in the region,” Akhtar said.
The study findings will serve as the basis for the inaugural ESCAP Committee on ICT, Science, Technology and Innovation to be held from 5 to 7 October 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.