Asia-Pacific info highway to bliss

The countries of Asia and the Pacific are already well recognized for their success in structuring cross-border global value chains which, backed by infrastructure corridors, have helped boost trade within and beyond the region. There is great potential, however, to further deepen connectivity and maximize socio-economic gains, by more effectively integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) across all core infrastructure sectors.

The urgency for this in Asia and the Pacific is apparent from the growing digital divide: in the developing economies of Asia and the Pacific, less than 15 percent of the people have access to high-speed Internet. The situation is worse in many of the least developed countries - landlocked developing and Pacific island countries - where less than 1 percent of the people have access to broadband. Accessibility of women and girls, regardless of location, level of income and age, is lower still.

Recognizing the significance of ICT in promoting efficiency, productivity and opportunity, the newly proposed UN Sustainable Development Goals target universal and affordable Internet access for all least developed countries by 2020.

By using ICT to augment and enhance connectivity, economies and businesses will be better-equipped to access the benefits of global markets, the Internet can be leveraged to broaden access to education and training, and new tools can be harnessed, such as advanced early-warning systems to better prepare for natural disasters whose frequency and impact have eroded many of the region's development gains.

It is imperative for the countries of Asia and the Pacific to more fully benefit from the opportunities of affordable and accessible broadband connections. The way to generate this leap, being deliberated by the member states of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is the creation of an Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway.

Connecting the Internet backbone of each country - into a cohesive "meshed" regional superhighway - will enhance competition in telecommunications markets and create new opportunities for large-scale investment in fiber optic infrastructure. Seamlessly connecting land-and sea-based fibre networks will lead to economies of scale and lower Internet prices, particularly for countries and communities that have so far remained excluded from the advantages of ICT.