South East Asia and Oceania 5G – Mobility Report

The South East Asia region

The South East Asia region – synonymous with the 10-country regional economic bloc, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – is one of the most vibrant economic regions. It has witnessed an accelerated pace of digitalization since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have been the main drivers of digital adoption in the region. Growing 4G mobile broadband uptake has been a key factor in digital acceleration. Including Oceania, service providers are expected to add almost 90 million 4G subscriptions in 2022, with this strong growth to continue in 2023.

Rising consumer adoption of digital technologies and services is also driving technology-led industry transformation, and not just for large enterprises; small and medium enterprises have also been adopting digital technologies to align themselves with the shift in consumer behavior. A key factor in this accelerated digital adoption has been the digitalization action plans and frameworks launched by governments in the region. ASEAN has also taken multiple initiatives1 to facilitate digitalization in its member countries. It has identified accelerating inclusive digital transformation as one of five broad strategies to boost the economy and improve society in the post-COVID-19 world. Recently, ASEAN articulated its strategy on how it intends to transform the region’s economy and society through the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. The strategy emphasizes the role of 5G as the key enabler of the digital infrastructure needed for Industry 4.0.2