The State of Broadband 2022: Accelerating broadband for new realities ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publica- tion do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU or UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. [...] The pandemic accelerated the uptake of broadband and the adoption of digital services by individuals and businesses, the digitalization of governmental services and spread of e-commerce. [...] The chapter highlights how the pandemic has accelerated the uptake of broadband and the adoption of digital services by individuals and businesses, the digitalization of governmental services and more services moving online. [...] The country had one of the highest e-commerce growth rates in Southeast Asia in 2020.9 The share of online retail has risen sharply since the outbreak of the pandemic. [...] The spread of misinformation rose with the World Health Organization (WHO) noting that the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 is “proving to be as much a threat to global public health as the virus itself”.56 With an estimated 1.6 billion people—or 20 per cent of the global population—living in places at discernible risk of armed conflict, the global community must recognize the risks and com.