Pavitra Ramanujan, Asia Regional Coordinator, Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Damar Juniarto, SafeNet
Asad Baig, Mediamatters
Ritu Srivastava, Jadeite Soultions, India
Ressa Ria Lestari (Icha), Common Room Networks, Indonesia
Sarbani Banerjee Belur

In the current times, connectivity has come to have a new meaning that focuses more on meaningful connectivity that unlocks the full potential of internet access. There is an urgent need to not only bridge the digital divide, but also bridge the other social divides of gender, societal class and caste. In Asia-Pacific, internet penetration through traditional channels of state and private Internet Service Providers (ISPs) remains low due to the lack of digital infrastructure (such as network towers, backhaul connectivity and backbone fibre, among others) and the dynamic, low demand in rural and remote regions. Hence, access is still a distant dream. In this backdrop, there have been innovative ways by which connectivity is created based on communities addressing their own communication needs. These “community” networks create common spaces for digital rights whether offline or online and juxtaposes it alongside justice, equality and inclusion.