The Digital Divide Remains of Concern

New statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) suggest that while internet connectivity and usage is on the rise, it is barely making a dent in the digital divide as low-income countries continue to be left behind. According to the ITU’s latest Facts and Figures report released recently, 5.4bn people are now online – that’s around 67% of the global population and a 4.7% increase from 2022. Consequently, the number of unconnected people dropped slightly to an estimated 2.6bn people, the many of whom are on the African continent.

The divide is being reinforced by high data costs in some countries, for example, in Uganda one of the country’s leading network providers has increased tariff charges on data and voice products to the extent that experts forecast that a significant portion of the population will no longer be able to access the digital economy.