The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has disclosed that the global number of individuals without internet access has declined from 2.7 billion in 2022 to 2.6 billion in 2023.
With 2.6 billion people still offline worldwide, satellites are a critical part of our toolkit to connect the unconnected. #ITUWRC outcomes will shape digital development for the rest of the decade + beyond https://t.co/Av3Od7l6HQ
— Doreen Bogdan-Martin (@ITUSecGen) October 3, 2023
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations.
“This improvement in connectivity is another step in the right direction, and one more step towards leaving no one behind in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
“We won’t rest until we live in a world where meaningful connectivity is a lived reality for everyone, everywhere.”
Still, based on that data which is said to be preliminary, approximately 33% of the world’s total population, which stands at 8 billion people, lacks internet connectivity. This is despite the increase in internet access having been primarily observed in low-income countries.
The data indicates that in those regions, the number of internet users increased by 17% over the past year. However, it’s important to note that in these countries, internet access is still available to less than one-third of the population.
The latest global estimates confirm that the double-digit growth in internet connectivity observed at the 2020 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was short-lived. Current trends are not strong enough to guarantee that the objective of universal and meaningful connectivity will be met by 2030, the body said.
According to Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, the director of the ITU Telecommunications Development Office, these figures underscore the significance of accurately measuring and continuously monitoring data related to internet access and connectivity.
“So we know where to focus our efforts to meaningfully connect everyone to the internet by 2030. We also need to focus on developing digital capabilities for everyone,” he added.
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