Connectivity – the bedrock of an inclusive Asean

AS leaders met in Kuala Lumpur last week for the 47th Asean Summit, the headlines were all about trade, geopolitics, and sustainability. Yet there is a quieter revolution underway, one that will decide whether our region’s promises are fulfilled or left unkept: digital connectivity.

When we picture South-East Asia’s digital future, we often imagine smart cities, fintech unicorns, or artificial intelligence-driven economies. But for millions across the region, the most urgent question remains painfully simple: Can I even get online?

This divide is not just about technology. It is about regulation. Policies, permits, licences, and incentives are what separate a connected village from one left behind. Connectivity is no longer a telecom issue. It is a regulatory responsibility.

Across Asean, four countries are showing how regulatory choices can shape the digital future.

> In Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, working with the Communications Ministry, has demonstrated the power of discipline and accountability.

The Jendela (Jalinan Digital Negara) initiative aims to provide broadband services with gigabyte speed and ensure that 100% of populated areas can access 4G service. But it is more than a rollout plan – it is a governance framework with quarterly KPIs that track coverage, fibre hubs, and service quality. As a result, Internet access now reaches 98.8% of populated areas, with more than 7,500 5G sites now serving 82% of Malaysians.

The lesson: Transparent targets, backed by regulatory authority, deliver results.

> In the Philippines, the Information and Communications Technology Department (DICT) chose to break the gridlock. By mandating tower-sharing and extending licences to 15 years, DICT gave operators the certainty they needed. The outcome has been substantial: from around 27,000 towers in 2021, the industry is now building towards a target of 50,000 towers to achieve universal coverage.

Alongside a state-funded National Fibre Backbone and nearly 18,000 public Wi-Fi sites, the Philippines is tackling both affordability and access.

The lesson: Mandates plus long-tenor licences reduce costs and speed deployment.

> In Indonesia, the Communication and Informatics Ministry (Kominfo) has had to contend with geography. With more than 17,000 islands, fibre alone could never close the gap. Instead, Kominfo launched SATRIA-1, a 150 Gbps satellite designed to connect 150,000 schools, clinics, and government offices.

In Papua and other remote regions, government-led programmes are building thousands of new BTS sites (cellular network infrastructure that enable wireless communication) to reach underserved communities.

The lesson: Universal service obligations must evolve beyond subsidies into strategic state-led investments, including satellites and backbones. 

> In Cambodia, the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry has taken an approach rooted in urgency. With 13,498 towers already standing and nearly 60,000km of fibre deployed, the government has enshrined a legal deadline of 2027 for universal mobile coverage. A subsea cable to Hong Kong, planned for 2026, will boost resilience.

The lesson: Enshrining deadlines into regulation mobilises the entire ecosystem toward a common goal. 

Closing Asean’s digital divide requires regulators and ministries to act decisively on four fronts. 

> Affordability: Anchoring rollouts around schools, clinics, and SMEs ensures steady usage and community benefit.

> Permitting reform: Cutting approval times and extending licence durations, as DICT has shown in the Philippines, can unlock faster growth. 

> Infrastructure sharing: Neutral-host towers and open-access backbones reduce duplication and make rural expansion viable.

> Technology neutrality: Fibre may power cities, but satellites and microwave links are indispensable for rural and hard-to-reach areas. There is no one-size-fits-all; the right technology must match the right terrain.

The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2045 pledges inclusivity and sustainability, but these principles collapse without connectivity.

A farmer cannot participate in regional trade without digital access. A student cannot compete globally without the tools of online education. A rural clinic cannot deliver quality care without the support of telemedicine. And an SME cannot scale its business without access to e-commerce platforms.

Every time a regulatory bottleneck delays the approval of a tower or the rollout of a fibre hub, Asean’s development promises lose credibility.

If the region is serious about inclusivity, then connectivity must be placed at the very centre of the Asean agenda. This requires harmonising regulatory principles across member states – ie accelerating permits to deliver speed, granting long-tenor licences to ensure certainty, mandating infrastructure sharing to reduce duplication, and anchoring universal service around schools and clinics to guarantee inclusivity.

Without these reforms, ambitions will remain lofty rhetoric. With them, connectivity can become the bedrock of a truly inclusive Asean.

Public policy can set the rules, but execution depends on strong partnerships. Tower companies like EDOTCO, present in four Asean markets (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines), show how regional players can scale regulatory reforms across borders. By aligning national regulations with neutral-host infrastructure providers, Asean can fast-track universal access.

Connectivity is the foundation of Asean’s promises. Without it, those promises ring hollow.

NOREEN SABRINA

Director

Corporate Affairs

EDOTCO Group