Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/307454 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
ARTNeT Working Paper Series No. 240
Publisher: 
Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), Bangkok
Abstract: 
The digital connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region is primarily shaped by the availability of ICT infrastructure, the nature of regulatory policies, and the dynamics of competition among service providers. This paper explores the policies and regulations that affect the costs and accessibility of digital infrastructure in the 21 Asia-Pacific economies included in the ESCAP's Regional Digital Trade Integration (RDTII) Database: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Türkiye, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Hong Kong, China. It specifically focuses on trade and investment policies, as well as regional cooperation initiatives in Asia and the Pacific, that have an impact on (1) telecommunications infrastructure and services, and (2) ICT products. Despite trends towards liberalization, the telecom and ICT sectors in Asia-Pacific economies are generally found to be heavily regulated. The predominance of state monopolies and diverse regulatory approaches across different economies potentially result in high digital connectivity costs and a lack of a competitive environment. This potentially contributes to a significant divide in digital infrastructure quality and accessibility observed across the region.
Subjects: 
digital connectivity
telecommunication services
digital divide
Asia-Pacific
digital trade
investment
JEL: 
F13
F23
L43
L52
L86
L96
K33
O38
Q01
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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