Bangkok--22 Aug--UNISBKK The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold, on Friday, 29 August, a “curtain raiser” press conference on ITU Telecom Asia 2008 ? the leading showcase for information and communication technologies (ICT) and the foremost networking platform for policy makers, regulators and the ICT industry from across the Asia-Pacific region. ITU Telecom Asia 2008 will take place between 2?5 September at the IMPACT Convention Centre, at Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok. A Ministerial round table and high-level dialogue between Ministers and industry leaders will also be held at the venue. The VIP/Press Day will be held on Monday, 1 September. In addition, the ITU Asia Pacific Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Report will be launched during ITU Telecom Asia 2008. According to the Report, the region is a world leader in telecommunications and ICT. But despite the many success stories, the region is fraught with disparities ? while some people in Asia live the ultimate Internet high-speed experience, there is a stark contrast between the region’s high-income economies and the low and lower-middle income economies, where progression towards fixed and mobile broadband is slow and Internet access is limited and costly.