Digital Society Report for Asia Pacific: Harnessing emerging technologies to advance digital nation development

GSMA M360 Asia Pacific returns this year, hosted for the first time in Seoul, South Korea by KT, bringing together industry leaders from across the region to discuss the future of mobile technology and the impact of digital technologies and services on the economies of Asia Pacific countries.

GSMA released its latest report "Digital Societies in Asia Pacific - Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Advance Digital Nations". The report assesses the role of emerging technologies in the Asia Pacific countries' aspirations to become digital nations. 96% of the population in Asia Pacific is now covered by mobile broadband networks, and operators will invest nearly $260 billion in their networks by 2030. Most of this investment will be used for 5G technology.

Cultivating a digital nation in Asia Pacific

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region will strive to become "digital nations" by 2030. These efforts will integrate digital technologies and services into all sectors of the economy, build resilient economies with limited resources, and achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Key findings include:

As countries in the Asia-Pacific region strive to become digital nations, emerging technologies are moving toward the mainstream. In the 2022 edition of the Government AI Readiness Index, four countries in the Asia-Pacific region ranked in the top ten: Singapore (second), South Korea (sixth), Australia (eighth) and Japan (ninth).

High-speed connectivity is the cornerstone of a digital nation, and mobile broadband networks, the primary channel for most people to access the internet, now cover 96% of the population in Asia Pacific. Between 2023 and 2030, mobile operators in Asia Pacific will spend $259 billion on their networks.

As digital technologies and services play an increasingly important role in the economies of Asia-Pacific countries, a whole-of-government approach and international cooperation are needed.