The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has pledged to broaden its capacity-building programs for the region.
The commission's member countries will collaborate on projects to increase the availability and affordability of broadband in the region, the Bangkok Postsaid.
Projects under the initiative will include discussing amending inter-governmental arrangements to allow the deployment of fiber along the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway.
The initiative will also involve developing regional internet maps and conducting policy analysis with the goal of bridging APAC's digital divide.
According to ESCAP director of ICT and disaster risk reduction Shamika Sirimanne, there is still a marked inequality in terms of broadband access in the region.
In markets like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, broadband access costs an average of under 2% of monthly income. But in developing economies, this proportion can raise to over 40%.
The ITU also estimates that currently only 53% of APAC households have internet access, compared to 77% in Europe.