2nd OECD Workshop on Broadband
Session III: Policy Issues
June 5, 2002
“Asia Broadband Program”
Tetsuo YAMAKAWA
Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs,
Posts and Telecommunications, JAPAN
Asia Broadband Program
1. Policy Objective
For the world economy to grow, Asia must achieve its full potential for
growth. Improving IT in Asia is essential in pursuing this goal.
Potential of Asian Countries’ Economies
2000 World Population:
Americas ex. USA &
Canada
USA & Canada
8%
5%
1999 World GNP:
6,057 billion
Japan
2%
29,798 billion USD
Americas ex. USA &
Canada
6%
Japan
14%
Asia ex. Japan
59%
Asia ex. Japan
13%
USA & Canada
31%
Europe ex. EU
6%
EU
6%
Oceania
Africa
2%
2%
Africa
13%
Oceania
1%
Europe ex. EU
4%
(Source: World Development Indicators Database, World Bank)
EU
28%
Landmarks in Asian IT Growth
Japan: Mobile Internet
World’s largest number of subscribers to mobile internet: over 50 mil in March 2002 (MPHPT)
Singapore: e-government
World’s second biggest provider of e-government services in 2001 (Accenture)
S. Korea: Broadband spread
World’s highest dissemination rate of DSL: 8.91% of population in Nov. 2001 (MPHPT)
China: Potential Market
Population 1,300 mil; world’s largest number of mobile phone subscribers: 155.85 mil. in
February. 2002 (China)
India: IT Software Exports
Software exports: 620 mil US$ in 2000 (NASSCOM)
Asia Broadband Program
2. Current Situation
Compared with international trade, information flows between Asia and other
parts of the world, as well as within Asia, are unreasonably small.
This imbalance must be ended.
2000 World Trade Flows
2001 World Information Flows
(in US $)
413 trillion
162 Gbps
North
America
Europe
North
America
Europe
1 Gbps
428 trillion
42 Gbps
564 trillion
Asia
(Source: WTO International Trade Statistics 2000)
Asia
(Source: TeleGeography; Packet Geography 2002)
Asia Broadband Program
Ratio of intra-regional to inter-regional Internet bandwidth
in Europe, 1999-2001
Internet Bandwidth (Mbps)
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
Intra-regional
300,000
200,000
100,000
Inter-regional
0
1999
2000
Note: Domestic routes are excluded. Data as of mid-2001. (Source: TeleGeography)
2001
Asia Broadband Program
Ratio of intra-regional to inter-regional Internet bandwidth
in the Asia-Pacific Region, 1999-2001
Internet Bandwidth (Mbps)
60
50
Intra-regional
40
30
20
Inter-regional
10
0
1999
2000
Note: Domestic routes are excluded. Data as of mid-2001. (Source: TeleGeography)
2001
Asia Broadband Program
Top 30 Hub Cities in Internet Bandwidth
City
1
New York
2
Internet Bandwidth
(Mbps)
City
Internet Bandwidth
(Mbps)
149,834.5
16
Seoul
3,734.1
London
85,518.7
17
Hong Kong
2,694.8
3
Amsterdam
24,479.6
18
Madrid
2,488.0
4
Paris
22,551.8
19
Buenos Aires
2,285.7
5
San Francisco
20,813.6
20
Mexico City
2,166.0
6
Tokyo
16,745.6
21
Dallas
1,546.0
7
Washington D.C.
13,261.2
22
Sacrament
1,409.0
8
Miami
11,912.4
23
Stockholm
1,397.0
9
Los Angeles
11,227.0
24
Osaka
1,395.0
10
Copenhagen
10,417.0
25
Milan
1,293.5
11
Frankfurt
9,351.5
26
Singapore
1,276.0
12
Seattle
5,891.7
27
Perth
1,092.0
13
Sydney
4,389.0
28
Monterey
1,077.0
14
San Paulo
4,316.5
29
Auckland
1,020.0
15
Chinese Taipei
3,738.4
30
Rio de Janeiro
981.0
(Data as of mid-2001, Source: TeleGeography; Packet Geograph y 2002)
Asia Broadband Program
3. Promoting ICT through Expanding Broadband Networks
To enhance IT in Asia, Japan proposes an “Asia Broadband Program”,
designed to make the region a world information hub through expansion of
broadband networks. It would also benefit worldwide ICT development.
<Challenges for ICT Development via Broadband>
- Establishment of broadband infrastructure
- Efficient distribution of digital content
- Improvement of ICT consumer environment through policy and regulation
- Capacity-building and education to improve ICT literacy, etc.
By co-operating to set short and long-term targets,
Asian countries can overcome these challenges
and promote broadband expansion.
Asia Broadband Program
4. Measures
Various measures need to be discussed for expanding broadband in Asia, such as:
<Establishment of Broadband Infrastructure>
- Construction of Asian R&D broadband network
- Promote use of the network for international joint R&D projects
- Co-operation among Asian countries in building broadband IX
- Study capability of communications satellites to resolve geographical disadvantages
<Distribution of Digital Content>
- Support scheme to promote efficient distribution of digital content created in Asia
Asia Broadband Program
<Improvement of ICT Consumer Environment>
- Harmonized policies to protect copyright, security etc.
- Sharing knowledge and expertise among countries on policy-making and regulation
- Making use of Japan’s e-Policy Support Network
<Capacity-Building and ICT Education>
- Co-operation in ICT human resource development, etc.
Report to the World Summit on the
Information Society (Geneva, 2003)
Asia Broadband Program
5. Asia’s Special Characteristics
Asia is characterized by its diversity of cultures, geographic conditions, and social
and economic systems. Attention must be paid to this diversity during development.
<Cultural Diversity>
Countries contain cultural communities with different languages, religions, etc.
This could hamper the efficient transmission of digital content across the region.
<Economic Diversity>
Because national income levels, main industries, etc. differ greatly from one
country to another, ICT must be expected to take a different role in each country.
<Geographic Diversity>
Metropolitan areas and other large economic centers are adequately furnished
with ICT infrastructure, but remote areas, such as islands and mountains, have
poor access to such infrastructure.
Asia Broadband Program
6. Points of Importance
In implementing the Asia Broadband Program, we should keep in mind these principles:
<Respect for Diversity and Autonomy>
- Economic, geographic and cultural diversity within Asia must be noted and each country’s
autonomy must be respected
- Each country should be encouraged to be active in making its own efforts to develop ICT
<Partnership among many public and private bodies>
The improvement of broadband will best be achieved through building partnerships among:
- Governments
- Private-sector bodies
- NPOs and NGOs
- International organizations
etc.