Page 90 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

New Data from ITU Suggest ‘COVID Connectivity Boost’ – But World’s
Poorest Being Left Far Behind

An estimated 37 per cent of the world's
population – or 2.9 billion people – have
still never used the Internet. New data
from the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), the United Nations
specialized agency for information and
communication technologies (ICTs), also
reveal strong global growth in Internet
use, with the estimated number of people
who have used the Internet surging to
4.9 billion in 2021, from an estimated 4.1
billion in 2019. This comes as good news
for global development. However, ITU data
confirm that the ability to connect remains
profoundly unequal.
Of the 2.9 billion still offline, an estimated
96 per cent live in developing countries. Strong growth since 2019 was largely • Globally, an average of 62 per cent of
And even among the 4.9 billion counted driven by increases in developing men use the Internet compared with 57
as 'Internet users', many hundreds of countries, where Internet penetration per cent of women.
millions may only get the chance to go climbed more than 13 per cent. In the 46 • Although the digital gender divide has
online infrequently, via shared devices, or UN-designated Least Developed Countries been narrowing in all world regions
using connectivity speeds that markedly (LDCs), the average increase exceeded and has been virtually eliminated in
limit the usefulness of their connection. 20 per cent. “These statistics show great the developed world (89 per cent of
“While almost two-thirds of the world's progress towards ITU's mission to connect men and 88 per cent of women online)
population is now online, there is a lot the world," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, wide gaps remain in Least Developed
more to do to get everyone connected to Director of ITU's Telecommunication Countries (31 per cent of men compared
the Internet," said ITU Secretary General Development Bureau, which oversees to just 19 per cent of women) and in
Houlin Zhao. “ITU will work with all parties ITU's data and analytics work. “But a vast Landlocked Developing Countries (38
to make sure that the building blocks are in 'connectivity chasm' remains in the LDCs, per cent of men compared to 27 per
place to connect the remaining 2.9 billion. where almost three quarters of people have cent of women).
We are determined to ensure no one will never connected to the Internet. Women in • The gender divide remains particularly
be left behind." The unusually sharp rise LDCs are particularly marginalized, with pronounced in Africa (35 per cent of
in the number of people online suggests roughly four out of every five still offline." men compared to 24 per cent of women)
that measures taken during the pandemic Many of these 'digitally excluded' face and the Arab States (68 per cent of men
– such as widespread lockdowns and formidable challenges including poverty, compared to 56 per cent of women).
school closures, combined with people's illiteracy, limited access to electricity, The urban-rural gap, though less severe
need for access to news, government and lack of digital skills and awareness. in developed countries, remains a major
services, health updates, e-commerce and “Digital solutions would be needed to re- challenge for digital connectivity in the rest
online banking – contributed to a 'COVID energize sustainable development and of the world.
connectivity boost' that has brought an help put countries back on track to meet • Globally, people in urban areas are twice
estimated 782 million additional people the UN Sustainable Development Goals as likely to use the Internet than those in
online since 2019, an increase of 17 (SDGs) for 2030," Bogdan-Martin added. rural areas (76 per cent urban compared
per cent. What it means for sustainable “Unfortunately, the communities identified to 39 per cent rural).
development The 2021 edition of Facts in the 2030 Agenda as most at risk of being • In developed economies, the urban-
and Figures, ITU's annual overview of the left behind are the very same communities rural gap appears negligible in terms
state of digital connectivity worldwide, now being digitally left behind." of Internet usage (with 89 per cent
shows the number of Internet users Key report findings: of people in urban areas having used
globally growing by more than 10 per cent The digital gender divide is narrowing the Internet in the last three months,
in the first year of the pandemic – by far globally, but large gaps remain in poorer compared to 85 per cent in rural areas),
the largest annual increase in a decade. countries. whereas in developing countries, people
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