Universalizing access to telecommunications and broadband has been a priority for nations around the world. Developing countries too sought to achieve this goal, despite limited finances and technical difficulties. This presentation will discuss how two leading Asian nations, China and India, have implemented universal broadband programs. Despite similarities in objectives and economic circumstances, the experiences of the two countries present some surprising differences. Based on excerpts from their recently published book, Making Policy for the New Information Economy (Routledge, 2023), Krishna Jayakar and Chun Liu argue that national experiences with large scale techno-social programs such as universal broadband are indicative of civilizational patterns and deeply ingrained socio-political tendencies. Jayakar’s presentation will discuss these patterns and their relevance of policy theory and policymaking in Asia and elsewhere.