ABSTRACT
It has become clear that the global “digital divide,” between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not, is widening. Asian governments need to provide support and to create an environment which facilitates Internet usage among business, customers, and citizens, but which offers them some protection against the economic and cultural hegemony of the Western developed nations. This chapter will examine Internet usage in Asia within the global context. Asia is as diverse in terms of Internet penetration as it is in other social and cultural indicators. Some parts of Asia, notably Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, have rates of per capita Internet access at leading international levels. In other parts, such as North Korea, there is very little access. In China, high access in the major coastal cities stands in stark contrast to minimal access in the rural areas. This inequality is mirrored to a lesser degree in India which, while in general it has very low rates of Internet access, is a major international provider of software expertise (see D’Costa, Chapter 3, this volume). Moreover, although Japan currently has the most Internet users in Asia, its per capita rate is not commensurate with its Gross Domestic Product.
