It has been acknowledged that the information and communication' technology (ICT) will continue to be the driver in all aspects of nation building in the next few decades. Similar to other regions, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is poised to embrace the future riding on the wave of innovation and technology that has brought wealth and prosperity to this region.

According to a press release by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI), ICT in Asean has improved in many respects over the past five years.

At the macro level, exports of ICT services have become a larger component of total service exports, suggesting that ICT is today an important engine of economic growth in the region.

At the individual level, costs of Internet access and mobile subscription have fallen sharply in Asean member states (AMS), allowing greater connectivity for millions of Asean citizens.

The advancement of ICT in Asean is also evident in Other aspects; these include the rise in employment in the ICT sector, the transformation of government services into digital ones, and the increased awareness of cybersecurity, to name a few.

Although many factors also played a contributing role in such developments, the Asean ICT Masterplan 2015 (AIM 2015) has been a vital instrument in bringing about efforts and endeavours of the AMS.

The AIM 2015, launched by the Asean Telecommunications and IT Ministers in January 2011, was aimed to firmly establish ICT as an engine of growth for Asean countries, to build recognition for Asean as a global ICT hub, to enhance the quality of life for the people of Asean and to contribute towards Asean integration.

AIM 2015 supported the vision of AMS by bringing about many of the actions that account significantly for the region's ICT advancement.

Brunei Darussalam's contribution to AIM 2015

Brunei Darussalam's participation in enhancing development in the ICT sector has continued to gain recognition whereby Brunei Darussalam has been identified to lead one of the key activities in AIM 2015, namely the Asean ICT Innovation Awards (AICTA).

Brunei has hosted AICTA in 2013 and 2014, and this year, AICTA will once again be led by the country as part of Brunei Darussalam's hosting of the 16th Asean Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (TELMIN 2016).

Brunei Darussalam was also instrumental in the formation of the Asean CIO Forum.

The forum is an annual event to promote innovative collaborations among government, businesses, institutions and citizens. Its objective is to promote sharing of best practices by running a highly. interactive and engaging forum for CIOs from within Asean and beyond.

The exchanges have lead to better understanding of challenges and best practices, as well as providing a unique networking and cooperation opportunity.

Reviewing the effectiveness of AIM 2015

AIM 2015 came to completion at the end of 2015, with 87 projects undertaken. The initiatives under AIM 2015 have led to substantial improvements in ICT development and connectivity in the region.

In assessing development under each Strategic Thrust, key performance indicators were suggested to show how endeavours associated with each Thrust have moved forward the development in Asean.

Measuring Affordability of ICT Products and Services

Under 'Strategic Thrust 2: People Empowerment and Engagement', for example, the extent to which people are encouraged with and empowered by ICT can be measured by the affordability of ICT products and services, such as the cost of accessing internet and mobile-phone services.

The falling cost would enable more people to be connected to the digital world and to one another, and consequently enhance their quality of life in many respects.

The fixed-broadband sub-basket of GNI per capita depicts the cost of accessing fixed-broadband, which has decreased dramatically over the past few years. Asean citizens can also connect better to one another as a result of the decrease in the cost of using mobile cellular.

The Asean average of mobile-cellular sub-basket as of GNI per capita was 2.8 per cent in 2013, a fall from 4.92 per cent in 2010.

ICT Infrastructure Development

Another important indicator of ICT development in the region is the rate of infrastructure development.

Over the past five years, the proportion of Asean citizens with access to broadband Internet and mobile phone has increased significantly, with data compiled from the ITU indicating an increase in broadband subscriptions per 100 in population in every country almost all the time during 2010-2014.

Another indicator, mobile subscription per 100 in population reveals a similar pattern where Asean's average rose from 90.43 in 2010 to 121.75 in 2014. The Asean's average for mobile subscription is also greater than the world's average and the widening gap reflects the fact that accessibility to mobile phone in Asean has increased faster than the world as a whole.

The development in this regard is particularly impressive in Myanmar, whose number for 2014 is 49.47, a steep rise from 1.14 in 2010.

Moving beyond 2015

In moving forward, the Agean TELMIN have agreed that further cooperation is needed to maintain the momentum towards developing the region's digital economy and has approved a five-year IT roadmap to 2020 during the TELMIN 2015 in Vietnam. The AIM 2020 will provide guidelines to drive the digital economy in Asean member countries over the next five years.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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