Session
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Rajnesh Singh, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Hans Petter Holen, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Syed Mohammad Shaharyar Jawaid, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 4: Maria Beebe, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 5: Ata Yari, Government, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 6: Mahesh Uppal, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 7: Rajendra Singh, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The reason for choosing classroom is: 1) This layout will place our speakers at the front, with participants seated in rows facing forward and being able to see presentations easily. 2) We might have a larger group of audiences, which we believe this layout can accommodate better, allowing more people to attend the session. 3) Our session involves speakers delivering presentations and this layout will provide a clear view of the speaker and presentation materials. 4) This layout will also provide a more structured environment to our session where we primarily focus on information dissemination and discussion.
1) How can policymakers and regional Internet governance organizations enhance cross-border collaboration to lower Internet transit costs and improve connectivity across CASA? 2) What strategies can governments adopt to attract private investment for fiber-optic, 5G, and satellite-based infrastructure? 3) How can policies and programs be aligned across CASA to improve affordable access and regional harmonization?
What will participants gain from attending this session? The participants will: - Understand the current state of CASA connectivity: Internet access, quality, and affordability in CASA countries. Landlocked Central Asian challenges and South Asian last-mile connectivity issues. - Explore policy and regulation for digital inclusion: Spectrum allocation, data governance, and cross-border connectivity policies. Public-private partnerships for Internet infrastructure development. - Discuss technologies and digital CASA: Role of fiber-optic expansion, satellite connectivity, 5G, and community networks. Insights from Digital CASA Project on improving regional connectivity. - Explore regional collaboration and economic impact: Role of Internet governance bodies (APNIC, RIPE NCC, ITU, ICANN) in CASA’s digital development. Strategies to increase digital trade, regional infrastructure and IXPs, and common governance models.
Description:
The Central Asia South Asia (CASA) region, home to 2 billion people*, remains one of the most digitally divided regions in the world and has yet to be fully recognized as a collective regional issue within the IGF agenda. Despite its economic and strategic importance, CASA faces shared connectivity challenges, including high Internet costs, inadequate infrastructure, regulatory fragmentation, and limited cross-border collaboration resulting in 1.49b people still being offline, mainly in South Asia. While South Asia struggles with last-mile connectivity and affordability issues, Central Asia’s landlocked geography leads to costly Internet transit and restricted access to global networks. Building on insights from the APNIC Foundation’s IGF 2024 session, "Digital Leap: Enhancing Connectivity in the Offline World", this discussion will take a deeper look at the connectivity challenges specific to CASA. While our 2024 session focused broadly on unconnected people globally, this workshop will delve deeper into the CASA region’s unique barriers to digital integration and the strategies needed to overcome them. Some of these challenges include the high cost of Internet services, outdated regulations, and lack of regional Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and other joint projects which further impede digital inclusion and economic growth. Initiatives like the World Bank’s Digital CASA project aim to improve broadband access, but political situations, policy barriers and fragmented implementation make concerted progress difficult. However, CASA has the potential to become a regional digital bridge between the world, through investment in fiber-optic networks, spectrum harmonization, 5G and satellite Internet. Bringing together regional and global experts, this session will explore policy reforms, investment strategies, and cross-border partnerships that can enhance Internet connectivity, affordability, and governance in CASA. It will offer actionable recommendations to accelerate digital inclusion and economic integration, ensuring CASA is recognized as a key region in global Internet governance discussions.
1) Actionable policy recommendations: IGF 2025 report summarizing policy takeaways and implementation strategies for CASA. 2) Strengthened regional partnerships: Facilitate new collaborations among ISPs, regulators, and Internet governance bodies. 3) Knowledge exchange and best practices: Sharing insights from Digital CASA project, private sector, and government initiatives. 4) Follow-up engagement and next steps: Proposal for a CASA connectivity working group under APNIC Foundation & RIPE NCC.
Hybrid Format: In order to provide a rich, inclusive experience both for participants on-site and online, the session will be delivered through a hybrid mode and following criteria: 1) Panel discussion and expert insights: Experts from Internet industry, policymakers, and regional organizations will provide perspectives on CASA’s current digital state and its future. 2) Case studies and best practices: Examples from the Digital CASA project, regional IXPs, CERTs, broadband initiatives, and PPP models. 3) Interactive Q&A and open discussion: Engaging participants in proposing policy solutions and collaborative strategies.