Ministers of Telecommunications and Information Technology from ASEAN countries agreed to give top priority to cooperation and development in a five-year road map to 2020, Vietnamese Information and Communications Minister Nguyen Bac Son said in a press conference at the closing ceremony of the 15th ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (ASEAN TELMIN 2015).

"We all agreed to develop a sustainable and secure ASEAN community based on a digital and comprehensive community," Son said.

"We mapped out ASEAN information and communications technology Master Plan 2020 (AIM 2020) with eight strategic ways for the digital economy, improving the human role on the basis of information and communications technology (ICT); innovation; ICT infrastructure and human resources development; Integration and empowerment through ICT; ICT in the single market, new media and communications, and information security and assurance," he said.

He said delegates also highly appreciated the assistance from Japan in several areas of cooperation in 2015, including the ICT-infrastructure enhancement studies under the ‘ASEAN Smart Network Initiative'.

He said ministers agreed to hold activities under the ASEAN-Japan ICT Fund including a policy symposium to discuss ICT policy on the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, as well as appreciating Japan's contribution of 100,000 USD to the Fund.

Officials also welcomed the US's assistance in the conclusion of ITC-related activities in relation to promoting e-commerce and wireless broadband connectivity and dynamic frequency allocation as well as cooperation and assistance from China, India, the Republic of Korea and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

At the two-day event, participants from ASEAN members states noted that ASEAN has put in tremendous efforts to complete the AIM 2015, with 87 projects undertaken to implement the Master Plan.

The cost of accessing fixed broadband as percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita in the region has decreased from 37.2 percent in 2010 to 6.2 percent in 2013. However, the number of mobile subscriptions per 100 habitants rose from 90.43 in 2010 to 121.75 in 2014.

The ASEAN secretariat and the ASEAN TELMIN 2015 was successfully organised in accordance to three bases: ASEAN Economic Community; ASEAN Security Community and ASEAN Culture and Society Community.

They said the AIM 2020 would play a very important role in heading to the ASEAN Community vision to 2025.

At the meeting, ministers also agreed to convene the 16th ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Ministers Meeting and its meetings with dialogue partners and ITU in Brunei in 2016.