The United Nations (UN) on Thursday cited the critical role of broadband Internet access in the economic growth of developing countries in the Asia Pacific region.

In a UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regional forum that ended yesterday in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the ITU stressed the importance of broadband internet access in leveling the economic playing field for the Asia Pacific region, as well as the necessity of global collaboration to ensure the widest possible availability of future services to all users.

“This Asia-Pacific Regional Development Forum underlines the role of broadband as a catalyst for bridging the digital divide and for turning the challenges of today’s economic crisis into new opportunities," Sami Al-Basheer, director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) said.

The ITU noted that although advanced Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have broadband penetration rates of 32 percent and 23 percent respectively, less developed nations within the region are still struggling to provide basic telephone and Internet access, with less than one percent of the population in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar using the Internet.

In Japan, ICT is already being tapped for its potential use in energy saving. ICT had also been used to improve food, particularly water systems; trade of exported goods, and transportation.

In the Philippines, ICT infrastructures like techno parks are just starting to be built. The country also needs to enhance its local internet access and capability to ensure that health, education and government services become more available even in far-flung areas.

World Bank (WB) data in 2007 showed that the Philippines ranked as one of the lowest in the world in terms of internet access, with broadband connections per 100 persons pegged at only 3.4 in 2008.

The country’s internet speed also “suffers” as it is typically at 256 kilobytes per second (kbps) as compared to other countries like Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.