AsiaPacificInformationSuperhighway(APIS):NewAvenuetoRevenue
AbuSaeedKhanSeniorPolicyFellow
LIRNEasia
@ESCAP,BangkokDecember23,2014
Technologyshapespolicyanddevelopment(1997)
Oslo2006
Ubiquitous UniversalAccess
Operator1EffectiveRegulation
LicenseSpectrum
InterconnectionInternetBandwidth
UniversalService
Ubiquitous voice/dataUbiquitous broadband
Operator2
Operatorn
1997
2015
Reducepovertyby50%
Brazildiditin2008!
Incooperationwiththeprivatesector, makeavailablethebenefitsofnewtechnologies,especially informationandcommunications.
PPPinMDG#8
Incooperationwiththeprivatesector, makeavailablethebenefitsofnewtechnologies,especially informationandcommunications.
PPPinMDG#8
AsianHighwaycandeliverMDG#8
Anetworkof141,000km ofstandardizedroadwayscrisscrossing32countries connectingAsiawithEurope.
AtotalofUS$26billion hasalreadybeeninvestedintheimprovementandupgrades.
However,thereisstillashortfallofUS$18billion.
MoredetailsinESCAPswebsite
Q:WhyAsianHighwaystrugglesforfund?
A:Telecomshasnot beenconsidered.
Richispayinglesswhilepoorpaysmore.WhoistobeblamedforcolonizingInternet?
Source:GlobalInternetGeography2014,TeleGeography.
Median Asian IP Transit Prices per Mbps, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Q2 2011-Q2 2014
2011 2012 2013 2014 2013-14 CAGR 11-14East Asia & ChinaHong Kong $12.00 $8.20 $7.00 $6.00 -14% -21%Seoul $13.50 $15.00 $13.50 $12.00 -17% -4%Singapore $17.00 $8.60 $7.00 $6.25 -11% -28%Taipei $14.33 $17.00 $15.55 $12.00 -27% -6%Tokyo $13.50 $9.00 $9.00 $8.00 -29% -16%South Asia & OceaniaJakarta $23.00 $22.00 $13.00 $12.06 -7% -19%Kuala Lumpur $20.67 $11.00 $12.45 $8.00 -36% -27%Mumbai $24.00 $24.00 $19.00 $19.00 0% -7%Sydney $60.00 $25.00 $21.00 $19.00 -10% -32%
Source:GlobalInternetGeography2014,TeleGeography.
Bandwidthforecast:ShifttowardsEurope MiddleEast toEuropehasgrown
from51%(2003)to85%(2013). NorthAfricatoEuropehasgrown
from61%(2003)to94%(2013). 72%ofbandwidthconnectedto
SubSaharanAfrica,upfrom39%adecadeago.
SouthAsia toEuropehasgrownfromlessthan6%(2003)toover46%(2013).
Wehavetwomajorconcerns
Source:CienaandTeleGeography
ChinagoestoEuropeviaRussia
MEEuropegetsterrestrialJeddahAmmanDamascus
Istanbul(JADI) RegionalCableNetwork(RCN)
BypassEgyptDodgethepirates
IranandOmanalsodetour
APAC toEuropeviaMiddleEast?
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EPEGisnowtheInternetsfastestpathbetweentheGulfandEurope,shavingatleasttenpercentoff thebestsubmarinecableroundtriptimefromDubaitoFrankfurt.JimCowie,Renesys.26Sep,2013.
1) 2008:RelianceandChinaMobile terrestriallink.2) 2009:TataandChinaMobile terrestriallink.3) 2010:BhartiandChinaMobile terrestriallink.
Solution:FiberalongtheAsianHighwayRussia,India,China,Turkey,CentralAsia,SAARC,ASEAN+2
AsianHighwayhasalreadylinkedtheborders.Afullymeshed terrestrialAPISiswaiting.
AsiaPacificInformationSuperhighway(APIS)forIntraAsianandEurasianbroadband.
TargetsofAPIS:Openaccess
1) DiversityandRedundancytoallsubmarinecableslinkingAsiawithEuropeandtheUSAviaJapanthroughaTerrestrialConsortium.
2) MigrateSEAMEWE3&SEAMEWE4fromoffshoretoonshore. Alsoletallprivatecarrierstomigrate.
3) Noregulatorydisruption.OnlythelicensedcarrierswillaccessLION.
AdvantagesofAPIS Presumedunfriendlycountriesarealreadyinterlinked.
Submarine:SEAMEWE3andSEAMEWE4. Terrestrial:SinoIndianlinks(Reliance/Tata/Bharti +ChinaMobile).
Highlyresilientduetobeingmeshed. Reroutingthetrafficmeanszerodowntime. Installationandmaintenancecrew/materialsavailableeverywhere.
Createsmoreopportunitiesforsubmarinecables. InvestmentsintranspacificratherthanintraAsia. Lower latencyandhigher SLAatlesser costforinternationalbandwidth.
Openaccessguaranteed
InternetinAsiawillbesimilarto orcheaperthan theEU. Mobilebroadband(HSPA/LTE)willgrowlike2Gvoice.
SmartdevicesandWiFioffloadarefastacceleratingtheconsumptionofdata. Investmentsinbroadbandwillincrease. TherewillbehigherROIinFTTx.
MoreinternationalanddomesticPoPs/accessnodeswillemerge. Landlockedcountrieswillhavebandwidthatequalcost.
Subregionaltelecomsinitiativeshavenotdeliveredthat. Pacificislandswillenjoyreducedbandwidthcostinthemainland.
InternationalGateway(IGW)reformswillbeaccelerated. Usageofsubmarinecablespurchasedcapacitywillbemaximized. Carrierswillcommitlongercontracts.
ImpactsofAPIS
Nationalbroadbandbackboneswillrequirelessersubsidies.
APISandAsianHighway TurnAsianHighwayintoAsianInformationHighway
ESCAPremainsthecommonproponent. MillenniumDevelopmentGoals. Localemploymentgeneration. PublicPrivatePartnership. Boostinglocalbusinesses. Enablingsectoralreforms.
Respectivecountry'sroadauthoritieswillowntheirportionoffibernetwork. MayrequiretoobtainInfrastructureProviderlicenseforregulatory
compliance. HugesavingsfromthenonpaymentofROW. AccesswillbegiventotheInternationalGatewayoperatorsforregulatory
compliance. AdjustedMarginwillbepaidtoeachcountryproportionately(Regular
contributiontotheroadmaintenancebudget).
November5,2013:TigerWoodsinIstanbultohit10golfballsfromAsiatoEurope.
ProfessorCharlesKKao(),FatherofOpticalFiber,NobelLaureateinPhysics(2009)
Sandfromcenturiespast;Sendfuturevoicesfast.
Nextsteps:Inclusiveengagement
RoutesurveyoftheentireAsianHighway. Design,budgetandimplementationschedule. Fundingoftheproject.