The Digital Divide Should Be a Global Priority

The pandemic has exposed the digital divide’s severity that has placed those without connectivity and access skills at a severe disadvantage.

In a world of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, the pressure to do everything in the digital environment has increased. From classes to e-banking to online shopping, everything is done digitally now. This has brought to light the serious problem of digital inclusion that exists in the world.

This crisis has exposed the challenges faced by those outside the digital world. Not having connectivity leaves people even more isolated and at a significant disadvantage as they have to fight for access to vital things like an education, job, or job opportunities. Before COVID-19, people went to a coffee shop, bookstore, or place with public internet access, but now many of these places have closed. How do you get informed, access official government announcements, and even have video calls with loved ones who live far away without Internet?

According to a Pew Research Center study, there are 33 million Americans who do not have access to the Internet in the United States. This represents 10% of the population. This digital divide is linked to several demographic variables, including age, educational level, family income, and community type. Lack of access to technologies can harm all aspects of everyday life, from causing social exclusion for not having a way to talk to other people due to the pandemic to not having access to public services, such as registering for the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to a study conducted by Capgemini on the digital divide found that 44% of respondents who did not have an internet believed they could find higher-paying jobs and improve their education if they did. According to Capgemini, most respondents who do not have connectivity are between 22 and 36. The survey was conducted of people ranging from 18 to over 70 years old. They also noted that half of them are not newbies to the digital world; in fact, 59% have used these tools before, that is, they have the necessary digital skills to use the Internet in the future.

Why don’t 44% of the respondents have internet access? The research found three reasons: cost, complexity, or lack of interest. However, they mention no universal cause; for example, the Internet’s cost can be a key point for young people living in rural areas and the complexity of older adults, people with disabilities, or health problems.

In the United States, the main barrier is cost. According to Capgemini, 84% of the disconnected population under 36 years old admit that they are not online because of what it costs to hire internet service. Compared to the rest of the world, the average number of people without connectivity for economic reasons is 50%. But the digital divide goes beyond having access to the Internet. 76% of offline respondents said that this situation is because they cannot buy computers or mobile devices to connect.

Educational level is also one of the factors that affect the likelihood that a person is not online. According to the Pew Center study, three out of ten adults (29%) who do not use the Internet have, at most, a high school education. This number has dramatically decreased since 2000 as it was 81% of people at the time.

How to support greater digital inclusion and close the digital divide?

The responsibility for digital inclusion and universal access to the Internet cannot fall on the individual or a single group; it requires input from various stakeholders. This responsibility should be, primarily, governments, private organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations, and the academic world in conjunction with experts.

Public and private organizations must take critical and urgent action to ensure that those affected by the digital divide are no longer left out. Google, for example, partnered with the California State Department of Education to provide Chromebooks and 100,000 mobile hotspots to students in rural areas.

In private organizations, they must invest in closing the digital divide as part of their social responsibility agenda. Lloyds Banking Group has incorporated digital inclusion and digital equality into its strategy and purpose. In the UK, Lloyds established a Digital Champions Program where they have close to 25,000 “champions” since this program began in 2015, committed to increasing the digital skills of at least two individuals, businesses, or organizations each year. They use different campaigns through associations and local initiatives.

Of course, those who have the most important role are legislators and governments, who must make devices and the Internet more accessible to marginalized communities or anyone who does not have these services. They should focus on public access and private access to the Internet. The European Union, for example, launched the WiFi4EU initiative to provide free public Wi-Fi in public spaces, including parks, squares, libraries, health centers, and museums.

Furthermore, governments can help make devices more affordable. The organization “Alliance for Affordable Internet” says that a large part of the cost of devices comes from import and sales taxes. In July 2015, Côte d’Ivoire’s government, for example, reduced taxes on smartphones from 27% to 6.5%.

Through regulations and public policies, governments can exert pressure on Internet service providers and technology companies to reduce the cost of mobile data or broadband for certain communities or rural areas. Establish initiatives like those of Lloyds Banking Group, providing high-speed internet access in remote areas. For example, Spectrum, a telecommunications company, offered free broadband and internet access for 60 days to households with elementary, high school, or college students who do not yet have a subscription.

Private organizations should also seek to educate people on how to stay safe online. Many older people do not use the Internet to fear falling for scams or fraud, nor do they feel comfortable sharing personal information online. In these times where you can even make online bank transfers, it is key to help them lose their fear and use these applications.

During a time of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, it is even more important that digital inclusion is prioritized, not just for people who work remotely or because schools have moved to online learning bu
t also because it has become vital to obtain basic information and health services. It’s easy to forget that 33 million people in the United States alone are offline. It is time to explore ways to bridge the digital divide and provide opportunities for those facing these digital challenges.

Translation by Daniel Wetta.

Paulette Delgado

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0