The digital revolution has changed nearly every facet of daily life—from communication and work to tackling urgent global issues such as climate change and public health. Despite technology’s ability to connect and empower, millions worldwide are still excluded from its advantages. This “digital divide”—the disparity between those with access to modern information and communication technologies (ICT) and those without—extends far beyond merely lacking the latest smartphone or not having social media accounts. The digital divide restricts access to vital services like education and healthcare, heightening socioeconomic inequalities and hindering global progress on crucial matters. It exacerbates existing layers of exclusion, where cost, infrastructure issues, and poor digital literacy further separate the fortunate and the less fortunate. At a geopolitical level, inadequate technology development leads to national economic stagnation, weakens government effectiveness, and increases susceptibility to cyber threats and disinformation. Tech-related inequality risks intensifying geopolitical tensions and inciting social unrest if left unaddressed. Ultimately, this multilayered problem requires a collaborative response from governments and industry. Without purposeful efforts to close this gap, the digital divide will persist in increasing inequalities, leaving the disadvantaged even further behind.
Policy interventions that foster digital inclusion are needed. Digital inclusion means ensuring all individuals, especially underserved communities, have equitable access to technology and the skills needed to use it effectively. It includes affordable internet, digital literacy programs, accessible content, and the ability to participate in the digital economy. Ultimately, digital inclusion enables fuller social participation and helps bridge social and economic divides–essential to a fairer and more resilient global future.
Bridging the Technological Divide: Access and the Stakes for Global Equity
The digital divide is more than a connectivity gap or the ability to get online; it represents unequal access to the resources necessary to thrive in a digital economy and the capacity to leverage digital tools effectively. While 66 percent of the global population is online, 2.7 billion people still need to be connected. The ‘unconnected’ face critical employment, healthcare, and education barriers. In developed nations, digital inequalities persist among low-income groups, rural areas, and older people who lack digital literacy or access to affordable technology. In contrast, developing countries face a more profound divide because of inadequate infrastructure and minimal digital education. For instance, rural regions in Sub-Saharan Africa often lack reliable broadband networks, with internet access primarily restricted to mobile networks. This dependency makes connectivity costly and unreliable, compounded by challenges such as inconsistent electricity supply. Even in regions with internet access, high costs and unreliable service limit participation in the digital economy. Many people in the global south, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, have mobile internet access but need more infrastructure and face exorbitant prices for data. In Bangladesh, for example, a basic internet plan can consume up to 10 percent of an average monthly income or multiple grocery runs, placing digital access out of reach for many.
Similarly, a basic internet plan in Nigeria can consume approximately four to ten percent of an average monthly income, comparable to multiple essential grocery purchases, making digital access unattainable for many. This technological gap leads to what researchers term “information poverty,” where people are sidelined from social, political, and economic participation due to unreliable or hard-to-reach digital platforms. As governments increasingly depend on digital systems for vital services—from elections to social assistance—this divide perpetuates cycles of poverty and marginalization, mainly affecting women, children, and other vulnerable groups. In the absence of targeted policies to tackle these issues, digital poverty will mirror and worsen economic inequality, solidifying social exclusion in a time when digital access is essential for involvement in all facets of society.
Why Digital Inclusion Matters for Global Stability
To achieve global stability in the digital era, the emphasis must shift from simply providing digital access to addressing the fundamental necessity for robust infrastructure that boosts nations economically and protects them from escalating digital threats. Technology serves as a crucial enabler of national strength. However, countries with weak digital foundations encounter heightened vulnerabilities: without dependable infrastructure, they cannot fully participate in the digital economy or leverage cyber capabilities that enhance global competitiveness. Nations in Sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable internet, which hinders small businesses from scaling digitally and prevents these economies from completely integrating into global markets. Insufficient infrastructure obstructs economic growth, restricting access to the digital tools that enable nations to fortify their economic foundations and defend against cyber threats. For example, broadband internet access is essential for connecting communities and supporting remote work, e-commerce, and education. Yet many sub-Saharan African nations lack reliable broadband, limiting their economic resilience. Data centers and cloud services are also key, as they support data storage and processing, reducing costs and promoting data sovereignty. Nigeria’s recent investments are advancing this effort, though access remains uneven across the region. Additionally, cybersecurity frameworks and a skilled workforce are vital for protecting national assets, with South Africa leading some progress in cybersecurity training, while other countries continue to face skill gaps and policy shortages.
Countries with weak cyber defenses and low digital literacy are prime targets for misinformation and political influence from non-state actors and rival countries. Transnational organizations, such as ISIS, have taken advantage of digital gaps in regions with insufficient informational resources, establishing a presence where locals struggle to counteract online propaganda effectively. Moreover, events like the Russian-backed cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007 demonstrate how states with underdeveloped defenses are more susceptible to external influence. This divide broadens the reach of technologically advanced nations, intensifying global inequalities as powerful countries extend their influence in the digital realm, often leaving those lacking resources or infrastructure trapped in a cycle of dependence and vulnerability. Bridging the gaps in digital infrastructure is essential for balancing global power dynamics and promoting a more stable and equitable digital environment. How do we turn inclusion into empowerment?
Digital Literacy: Turning Inclusion into Empowerment
Bridging the digital divide involves more than providing internet access; it requires ensuring individuals are skilled in its use. Digital literacy is essential for engagement in today’s economy. A Pew Research Center report reveals that 40 percent of Americans find basic digital tasks challenging, like emailing or completing online forms. The situation is even grimmer in developing countries, where educational resources are often limited. Initiatives such as India’s Digital Literacy Mission and Kenya’s Digital Literacy Program demonstrate how governments and global organizations can take action. Governments can prioritize digital education early to prepare the next generation with the skills to thrive in a global digital economy.
International efforts also exist, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal: Target 9. c, which aimed to “Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.” Spoiler: this has not been achieved, but as of 2022, 95 percent of the world’s population was “within reach” of mobile broadband. Without investment in robust infrastructure like data centers, mobile broadband, and education, these initiatives serve as a superficial fix, and this responsibility should not rest solely on the government.
Why Tech Giants Need to Step Up
Companies like Google and Facebook reap billions in profits but do not contribute a fair share of the burden toward sustainable technology access. Although Silicon Valley promises its revolutionary technologies will improve the world, much of its purported positive impact is diminished when a third of the world’s population remains without access. While projects like Google’s Loon and Facebook’s Free Basics have aimed to broaden internet reach, these initiatives frequently come with constraints that hinder their objectives.
Free Basics, for instance, provided access to essential online services without data charges in developing nations like India but restricted users to a selected list of websites determined mainly by Facebook. This limited access constrained local communities’ ability to explore diverse online materials, including educational content and local innovations. This limited experience steered users towards services that favored Facebook’s business interests instead of genuinely empowering them or encouraging local growth. The chosen websites frequently lacked depth and diversity, presenting a limited perspective on online content that did not meet local communities’ distinct needs and aspirations. Rather than cultivating a landscape abundant with educational resources and innovative opportunities, Free Basics established a restrictive environment aligned with Facebook’s business objectives. While the initiative offered “free access,” it perpetuated digital inequalities by restricting substantial connectivity and diverting users from resources that could improve their knowledge and economic opportunities. This led to criticism and eventually a ban from India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) in 2016. TRAI deemed Free Basics a violation of net neutrality for offering a limited version of the internet, underscoring the risks of technology-driven initiatives that favor corporate interests over true empowerment.
Companies must work with local governments, NGOs, and communities to develop digital policies that value inclusivity and accessibility over profits. The effectiveness of these initiatives should be gauged by their impact on equity, sensitivity to local needs, and improving people’s quality of life.
Policy Solutions for More Inclusive Growth
A comprehensive policy approach should encompass infrastructure and capacity-building. First, policymakers should focus on expanding digital infrastructure in underprivileged areas. Subsidizing internet services and tax incentives for providers serving low-income regions can help reduce cost barriers. Once basic access is established, digital literacy programs should enable citizens to utilize the new access and engage in the digital economy. A notable example is Rwanda’s Digital Ambassadors Program (DAP), which teaches digital skills to individuals in rural areas. DAP trains community members to use e-government and financial services, develop online safety skills, and support business activities for job growth.
Global cooperation is crucial for bridging the digital divide and must emphasize universal access to technology as a fundamental human right rather than a luxury. Wealthy countries, multinational organizations, and technology companies should actively support the digital growth of developing nations through the previously described activities, as well as financial aid, technology transfer, and knowledge-sharing partnerships. An illustrative example of technology transfer can be seen in the collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and various governments in Africa, where mobile technology solutions are deployed to enhance service delivery in sectors like health and education.
One such initiative uses mobile health (mHealth) applications to improve maternal and child health services in countries like Kenya and Tanzania. By leveraging existing mobile networks, these applications provide real-time health information, reminders for vaccinations, and access to telemedicine services, thus improving healthcare outcomes. This technology transfer enhances local capabilities and empowers communities to manage their health services better. The World Bank’s Digital Economy for Africa initiative (DE4A) is aimed at helping African countries establish strong digital economies through technical assistance and investment. The DE4A initiative has had a measurable impact on digital economies in various African countries. For example, the initiative’s support for broadband infrastructure projects has significantly increased internet penetration rates. According to the World Bank, internet access in Africa has increased from about 16 percent in 2010 to approximately 28 percent in 2021, with some countries, like Kenya and Rwanda, experiencing even faster growth due to targeted investments.
Policymakers must acknowledge that closing the digital divide involves addressing interconnected challenges—affordability, infrastructure quality, digital literacy, and equitable participation—to ensure technology promotes inclusion instead of exclusion. It is vital for all citizens to fully participate in the digital era to foster inclusive growth and avert the deepening of existing social and economic divides.
Views expressed are the author’s own.
