The number of Internet users in Southeast Asia has grown strongly during the pandemic, ranking third in the world by region with 400 million users.
This is the data shared by Mr. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN Economic Community at the Huawei APAC Digital Innovation Conference 2022. According to Mr. Singh, since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 60 million digital consumers in the ASEAN region.
With the world’s third-largest Internet users, digital revenue in the region could reach $363 billion by 2025. To continue its growth, Singh said, working together to accelerate digital transformation is crucial.
“Digital transformation requires cooperative action from big players, especially the private sector, to develop ASEAN to its full potential,” Mr. Singh said.
More broadly, Asia – Pacific (APAC) is a region with very fast digital transformation. According to data from the World Telecommunication Union (ITU), mobile coverage in the region is almost 100%.
Just 10 years ago, some APAC countries did not have any 3G or 4G infrastructure at all. Now, GSM Association (GSMA) estimate data indicates there will be 1.2 billion 5G connected devices in APAC by 2025.
“Asia-Pacific is one of the most culturally and economically diverse regions in the world. This region used to play an important role in economic development, and will continue to hold a position in digital innovation,” said Ken Hu, Huawei Rotating Chairman.
At the event, many representatives of digital transformation agencies in the region also shared experiences on digital transformation. Mr. Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, said that technology will play an important role in innovating industries such as tourism and industry.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Minister of Technology and Innovation Adham Baba said that the country has implemented the MyDIGITAL program, with a focus on sustainable growth of the digital economy by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, focusing on both devices and software development.
According to Mr. Hu, in addition to connectivity, creating technology applications and building human resources in the field of digital technology is also very important. By 2030, APAC’s workforce is estimated to reach 2.2 billion, with an age advantage.
However, according to the Korn Ferry report, at the same time, the region will be short of 47 million people in the technology sector. Therefore, training technology staff is an important factor, according to Ms. Yang Mee Eng, Director of the ASEAN Foundation.
“Only when we have a team of talented people in technology can we effectively develop the digital economy in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Ms. Eng.
In addition to the three pillars of connectivity, application and people, the conference also opened many discussion sessions on the plan to develop a green economy, in order to achieve carbon-neutral commitments. This is also a new area that Huawei is targeting, as it develops technologies for solar power.
@ Zing News
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Source: Vietnam Insider