ITU: half the world’s population still offline

Some 3.9 billion people – more than half the world’s population – have still never been online, according to an ITU research report released last week at the World Economic forum in Davos.

The paper, titled ‘Connecting the Unconnected’ said that the world’s offline population have been excluded from the knowledge and opportunities that are “readily accessible to nearly half the world” and that this demographic is “disproportionately female, rural and poor.”

“ITU research reveals that, based on current population and connectivity trends, the next billion to come online by 2020 are most likely to be: urban; from Asia-Pacific and the Americas; and live in areas that are already within reach of wireless and wireline infrastructure; and not among the poorest,” said the ITU

“Among those still unconnected, some 58% are female and roughly 60% are rural. This data must translate into future national connectivity action plans that ensure gender equality (in terms of access, skills and opportunities) and that the rural poor are fully included.”