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 to access online school”.

In the UK: “Digital divide 'isolates and endangers' millions of UK's poorest”.

In India: “BA student finds good data signals atop her two-storey house”.

And in the US: “Digital divide 'is going to kill people' 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 — 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, we untangle the numbers behind the internet’s affordability problem and consider what it will take to connect the world.

How many days do you need to work to afford a smartphone?

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, 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.

How much will it cost to connect the world?

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 to Colombia to Indonesia and beyond. What will it take to connect the 3.7 billion people still offline?

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 — and over four times as much on military expenses.

We know that universal affordable internet access is key to reaching many of the Global Goals. Health, education, economic growth, gender equality, food production — all can be improved with expanded connectivity. If the private sector and public sector come together and commit to this investment, think of what we could achieve.

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 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.