Document :

ITU-D RPM ASP  Contribution  15

Title :

Addressing Barriers to Mobile Internet Adoption

Date :

2025-03-08

Source :

GSM Association (GSMA)

Meeting :

2025-03-20

Access :

Restricted to TIES users [ITU-D]

Abstract :

This contribution offers the mobile industry's perspective on efforts to close the digital divide.
It outlines two distinct groups of "digitally excluded" people:
those affected by the "coverage gap", living in areas not covered by mobile broadband infrastructure; and
those affected by the "usage gap", living in areas already covered by mobile broadband but not using it.
Noting that the usage gap comprises the overwhelming majority of people who remain offline, this contribution highlights the challenge that demand-side barriers to internet adoption pose to digital inclusion efforts - and the tremendous advances that can be made towards universal connectivity by tackling them. To this end, we call on the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) to take action to intensify efforts to address demand-side barriers to internet adoption.