ADB RETA: Preparing the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Information Highway Project on Rural ICT & Telecommunications

The objective of the technical assistance (TA) was to help South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) countries (Bangladesh, India, Bhutan and Nepal) prepare an investment project that will (i) establish robust data interchange capacity between all four SASEC members with reduced cost and an increase in reliability and competition; (ii) establish village networks for SASEC regional village communities to enable rural information and communications technology (ICT) development consistent with the Millennium Development Goals; and (iii) establish a regional ICT training and research center to provide a focal point for teaching, research, professional development, and industry and government advice.