A newESCAP digital transformation reportplaces the Philippines among emerging digital performers in Asia-Pacific, but also flags an affordability gap. The report gives the country a mobile broadband data-and-voice basket score of 2.40, the highest among the 14 economies in the group. Because the indicator measures the basket as a share of income, a higher score signals lower affordability. The finding is relevant to Filipino households and businesses that increasingly depend on mobile data for work, school, banking, commerce, and government services.
ESCAP said the Philippines needs continued investment inbroadband connectivity, cloud and computing infrastructure, digital skills, research, and public digital infrastructureas networks become more AI-ready. It also recommended resilient backup communications for disasters and stronger coordination among policymakers, industry, and technical institutions. The report does not identify a single provider as responsible for the result; instead, it frames affordability and infrastructure quality as national digital-economy challenges. Source:BusinessWorld report citing ESCAP.
