Ebay, Yahoo, Google, Nokia and Skype launch Asia Internet Coalition

The coalition, incorporated in October last year but officially launched on 14 June, is led by Dr John Ure, director of the telecommunications research project at Hong Kong University. It seeks engagement with policy makers, the industry and internet users to promote its aims of an open internet.

According to Ure, some of the AIC's main objectives are to facilitate the development of the digital economy in Asia-Pacific and to provide a forum for information sharing between industry and governments.

"Hong Kong's internet economy is worth US$12 billion (HK$96 billion) and underscores the importance of a healthy growth in information communications technology," said Hong Kong Government chief information officer Stephen Mak in his keynote speech at the launch.

The AIC aims to facilitate this growth via regular consultation with the government and industry and also aims to address major policy issues that arise from such rapid growth. Since its incorporation in October last year, the AIC has already prepared position papers and proposals on topics such as internet privacy and copyright laws for Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines.

According to the association's chairman, Valerie Tan who is also director of government and regulatory affairs, Asia-Pacific, the organisation's beginnings were largely informal. "It started over drinks about a year ago. It felt natural to form a coalition to represent our beliefs collectively and provide a single voice representing the industry for governments and policy makers to communicate with."

Membership to the AIC is open to any company with an internet-related business in at least two locations in the Asia-Pacific region and which agrees with the AIC's constitution.