The Internet in the Asia Pacific

For more than a billion people across the Asia Pacific, the Internet is an essential fact of life, supporting employment, business, health, education and much more. For many millions of people, the Internet can be taken for granted: it is available when needed, it is dependable, and it is affordable.

But there are millions of others who are still unconnected; and millions more who have only limited, slow and unreliable access to the Internet. If these millions are to be better educated, healthier, and more productive members of society, it is essential they can access Internet services of a quality and standard that is taken for granted by so many others.

Across the Asia Pacific region, we know the availability, stability, speed, and security of Internet services vary widely from place to place. Users in many developing economies tolerate conditions that are unacceptable in the developed world, and which seriously limit the benefits the Internet can deliver.

This represents a “digital divide”, not only between the “haves” and the “have-nots”, but between those who enjoy dependable, secure services, and those who do not. As our dependency on the Internet increases, it is essential to reduce these gaps if we are to achieve sustainable social and economic development.