Asian countries urged for internet access to drive digital economy

An international non-profit group that promotes open internet usage has urged Asia-Pacific nations to muster up their guts, shed the fear and dabble in the world wide web.

Representatives from Internet Society or ISOC, who arrived here on Wednesday, said the opening of the internet to everyone would ensure the free flow of information and promote more efficient information and trade exchange.

President of ISOC Kathryn Brown lauded the Thai government's commitment in enhancing the digital era so that people can have access to the internet and Thailand is among a few countries in the region to have assigned a special minister to drive the digital economy.

She however said policymakers need to open doors so that innovators can enjoy various platforms to increase new innovative applications and leverage more local content and services, particularly in mobile learning, mobile healthcare, smart farming and mobile payment to fully utilize internet capabilities.

"Everyday there are small innovations. Everyday you see people innovating on the internet to serve the needs that they have. So, all the applications that are coming forward in healthcare, transportation and home energy are all in the market place already." Kathryn said.

Kathryn also gave credit to China's online shopping guru Jack Ma. She said Ma has contributed greatly to the Chinese economy by creating more job opportunities in all sectors including couriering.

"Indeed, we need the next ... name them ... Jack Ma, the next Amazon, the next Facebook and it can come from this (Asia-Pacific) region. We feel very strongly about that because the region has the skill sets, the education system, the opportunities and thinking that will actually make it happen," she said.

Internet access, the quality of internet connections, cybersecurity, data privacy, and data protection are the top five concerns of policymakers globally this year, Kathryn said.

An ISOC report indicated the organization's survey of 1,770 people in Asia-Pacific conducted from March 25 to April 25 found 58 percent of respondents cited cybersecurity as the top issue warranting government attention.

In addition, 59 percent of people felt their privacy was not protected online.

Large-scale data breaches, uncertainties about how personal data is being used, cybercrime, online surveillance and other online threats are affecting the level of trust users have on the internet. Endit