Creating a Reciprocal Partnership to Explore the Efficacy of Internet Connectivity Legal Frameworks in the Asia-Pacific Region

Recent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the significance of Internet access as both a basic right and a practical expectation in communities. For example, in April 2020, Tropical Cyclone Harold damaged terrestrial networks, disruptng internet connectvity in four Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Tonga.[1] Similarly, in 2022, a volcanic eruption damaged Tonga’s sole undersea communication cable, leaving the country without internet access for over a month.[2] For most users in Western countries, Internet access is an assumed privilege. The ability of individuals to connect to and access the Internet to study, work, and socialise is taken for granted, with Internet connectivity being readily available and accessible. However, this is not the case for approximately 47 per cent of the population in the Asia-Pacific region who remain unconnected.[3] This lack of connectvity can be attributed to socio-economic factors such as poor digital skills, lack of affordability and accessibility to devices and services.