APAC calls for enhanced digital connectivity in rural areas for poverty alleviation

APAC calls for enhanced digital connectivity in rural areas for poverty alleviation

Experts have called for APAC to increase digital connectivity in rural areas to alleviate poverty. Stakeholders say cross-sector cooperation is needed to prevent digital divide and drive economic recovery during epidemics.

In a webinar titled ‘Strategy for Addressing the Asia-Pacific Digital Divide – Increasing Connectivity to Drive Economic Recovery’ organized by the Financial Times and Huawei on Thursday, the experts emphasized on enhancing digital connectivity in rural areas.

“It starts with fair access to digital services, especially connecting the unconnected,” said Michael McDonald, chief digital officer at Huawei Asia Pacific. “The digital divide requires three key pillars: ICT connectivity, talent and green technology.”

Yin Haitao, a professor at the Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Xiao Tong University, said the use of ICT solutions would help in economic development and poverty alleviation.

A report titled ‘Digital Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation: Huawei’s Approach’, co-authored by Yin and Chris Marks, professors at Samuel Sean Johnson College at Cornell University, was made public.

According to the report, the objective of the Rural Star program is to reduce ICT costs through innovation. Which will enable local carriers to provide commercially viable digital connection services in remote and rural areas.

To reach undeveloped areas and improve digital coverage, Huawei has launched the RuralStar program with local operators around the world, including Thailand and Indonesia, since 2017.

This solution replaces conventional towers with ordinary poles and enables conversion from the power of a diesel generator to solar energy.

By the end of 2020, the RuralStar program had been implemented in more than 60 countries, benefiting 50 million people.

“RuralStar allows people and organizations in underdeveloped areas to tap into the myriad resources and opportunities available online that empower them to contribute to the development of these areas,” he said.

Lack of ICT talent is a major area that reveals the digital divide. At the event, Poon King Wang, director of the Lee Kuan Yew Center for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, called for long-term strategies and support for the advancement of people of different generations and ensuring the well-being of workers in digital transformation.

Sophia Shakil, director of the Asia Foundation, said the epidemic had a negative impact on women’s unemployment and needed to be invested in skill building.

In 2017, Huawei, the Government of Bangladesh (ICT Division) and Robbie Axiata jointly launched the Digital Training Bus Project to impart digital skills to women in rural Bangladesh.

More than 60,000 women have been trained so far and 160,000 will be able to benefit by 2023.

According to Michael MacDonald, APAC is expected to create 400,000 more digital accounts in the next five years to reduce the labor deficit.

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Rabins Sharma Lamichhane

Rabins Sharma Lamichhane is senior ICT professional who talks about #it, #cloud, #servers, #software, and #innovation. Rabins is also the first initiator of Digital Nepal. Facebook: rabinsxp Instagram: rabinsxp

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