Bridging the Digital Divide in Asia - Challenges and Solutions

The UN/ITU joint declaration on moving towards an information society has put in place infrastructure targets in tele-density and access. And indeed, in much of the Asia Pacific, impressive gains have been made over the past 5 years in achieving universality and affordability in telecommunications services, particularly in the mobile sectors of China, India and Indonesia. An enterprise-oriented regulatory regime is one pillar of this growth. Cultivating user communities is the other pillar. Empowering the mass market with information literacy skills is yet another. In this paper, we shall review the major trends in the prolific growth of telecommunications in the major markets of the region and outline some of the best practices that have been adopted by regulators and user communities. Among these, addressing the digital divide between haves and have-nots in the various communities. We then summarize some key challenges for policy makers and private enterprise in the information society and for strengthening the knowledge economy and directing efficient investments. Finally, we draw some policy framework analyses which aid in the establishment of an infrastructure as well as macro applications that are universal, affordable and relevant, explaining why this is a critical element of any information or knowledge society