2022 outlook of the Asia Pacifics digital future

The Omicron variant has impacted parts of the world, reminding us that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. Scientists expect more variants in the coming years, and time will tell what impact those will have

FREMONT, CA: Accelerated digitization across sectors and industries, which was spurred by the pandemic but is now a result of the altered economic environment, is anticipated to continue in 2022. Aside from the pandemic, the climate catastrophe and numerous conflicts continue to wreak havoc on the Asia-Pacific area and the rest of the world, causing economic hardship and poverty, as well as increasing inequities and prejudice. Digital advancement has both exacerbated and mitigated these issues.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Internet use grew at its fastest rate in a decade between 2019 and 2021 in Asia-Pacific, with the biggest growth in mobile-broadband subscriptions among all regions at 10.5 percent. However, a year-over-year comparison shows that growth peaked during the first year of the pandemic, then reverted to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.

With accelerating digitisation and nations embracing "digital-first" initiatives – such as the deployment of digital vaccine registration, certification, and verification – it is more vital than ever to scale up efforts to reach the 40 percent of Asia- Pacific's population who are still not online. Access and price, literacy and abilities, the relevance of online products and services, security and trust, and sociocultural norms are all barriers for adopting digital methods. A large portion of the 4 0percent who are still unconnected is due to the fact that they are the most difficult to reach.

Low-income communities, rural and distant locations, and traditionally disenfranchised groups, such as women and girls, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities, are disproportionately represented among those who do not use the Internet. They risk losing out on incomes and learning opportunities, as well as putting their health in danger, by being unable to access internet services such as health care and vaccines. Those lacking digital access to vaccine certificates may be denied access to important services as a result of the digitalization of vaccine certificates.