Governments must get serious about delivering universal internet access.

A series from the Web Foundation
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** The internet is a lifeline that billions of people can't afford.
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This year, as the Covid-19 crisis forced our lives to move online, digital deprivation made headlines across the globe.

In Iran: “Some Iranian children are literally climbing mountains ([link removed]) to access online school”.

In the UK: “Digital divide 'isolates and endangers ([link removed]) ' millions of UK's poorest”.

In India: “BA student finds good data signals atop her two-storey house ([link removed]) ”.

And in the US: “Digital divide 'is going to kill people' ([link removed]) as Covid-19 exposes inequalities”.

These are just a handful of the stories of people navigating the pandemic with limited access to the web — or without any access at all.

And with over a billion people living in countries yet to meet the UN Broadband Commission’s affordability threshold ([link removed]) — 1 GB for 2% or less of average monthly income — it’s the high cost of data that remains one of the biggest barriers keeping people offline, cut off from the internet as a lifeline.

As the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) publishes its 2020 Affordability Report ([link removed]) , we untangle the numbers behind the internet’s affordability problem and consider what it will take to connect the world.

The internet's affordability problem, in numbers

1 billion+ — Over one billion people live in countries where data is unaffordable (A4AI ([link removed]) ).

26% — In some of the world’s poorest countries, an individual will pay 10% of their average monthly income or more for 1GB data. At the extreme end, in the Democractic Republic of the Congo, 1GB is priced at 26% of average monthly income (A4AI ([link removed]) ).

2.5 billion — Nearly 2.5 billion people live in countries where the cost of the cheapest available smartphone is a quarter or more of the average monthly income — equal to the share of monthly income the average European household spends on housing and utilities (A4AI ([link removed]) , eurostat ([link removed]) ).

6 months — In Sierra Leone, the average person must save six months’ salary to buy the cheapest available smartphone (A4AI ([link removed]) ).

$428 billion — An additional investment of $428 billion will be required to achieve universal connectivity to quality broadband internet in the next ten years (ITU ([link removed]) ).


** How many days do you need to work to afford a smartphone?
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Mobile devices, once seen as consumer luxuries, are today the essential first step to getting online. But for billions of people around the world, they remain too expensive. In A4AI's device pricing research ([link removed]) , we look at how affordable devices are by calculating their price relative to the average income of a country. In the graph below, find out how many days the average person would need to work to afford the cheapest smartphone on the market across 70 countries.
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To accelerate progress and get everyone an affordable, quality broadband connection, willtake an additional $428 billion ([link removed]) over the next ten years. While this price tag may sound high, the world spends the same amount on soda each year. Over 10 years, with funding coming from governments, development agencies and the private sector, this figure is not only achievable, but an excellent investment.

Sonia Jorge
Thomson Reuters Foundation ([link removed])


** How much will it cost to connect the world?
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The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that action is needed across the globe to speed up progress and bring everyone online — from the US ([link removed]) to Colombia ([link removed]) to Indonesia ([link removed]) and beyond. What will it take to connect the 3.7 billion people still offline ([link removed]) ?

Research from A4AI and the ITU revealed that nearly $428 billion will be required to achieve universal connectivity to quality broadband internet in the next ten years. Internet infrastructure will require a major portion of the investment, with remaining funds dedicated to policy development and regulatory reform, digital skills training, and local content production.

It sounds like a big number. But consider this: each year, the world spends almost as much on soda ([link removed].) — and over four times as much on military expenses ([link removed]) .

We know that universal affordable internet access is key to reaching many of the Global Goals ([link removed]) . Health, education, economic growth, gender equality, food production — all can be improved with expanded connectivity ([link removed]) . If the private sector and public sector come together and commit to this investment, think of what we could achieve.
Read the Connecting Humanity report to learn more. ([link removed])
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Hope has been hard to come by in 2020. But imagining the SDGs in a world of universal, meaningful internet access gives us a sense of what could be possible.

Adrian Lovett
Thomson Reuters Foundation ([link removed])

Governments must get serious about delivering universal internet access

As governments reassess their priorities in the post-Covid context, they must accelerate their efforts to deliver internet access, particularly to those who are harder to reach, such as women, poor people, and those living in rural areas.

Effective national broadband plans can help governments succeed in these efforts. A4AI's 2020 Affordability Report ([link removed]) focuses on the importance of these plans for driving policy, ensuring investments are effective, and bringing down costs. For better broadband planning to bring down internet prices, governments should:

1️⃣ Consult widely. Broadband plans must include inputs from a diverse and representative set of players across the private sector, public sector, and civil society. Inclusive drafting practices lead to better plans. This helps align interests and expectations and build trust.

2️⃣ Set clear targets. Plans must have clear targets that address a country's most critical gaps and have clear, time-bound measurements. These should include at least one target for network coverage and at least one target for data affordability.

3️⃣ Commit funding for implementation. Plans must come with funding commitments and a transparent assessment and review process. Without financial support for implementation, national broadband plans fail to make a long-term impact on a country’s digital development.
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2020

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