{
  "id": 18202420,
  "title": "ITU: Digital Divide Persists Despite 6.3bn People Now Online",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/itu-digital-divide-persists-despite-6-3bn-people-now-online",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T23:26:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/11/05/itu-digital-divide-persists-despite-6-3bn-people-now-online/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reported that 6.3 billion individuals, or 76% of the world's population, had internet access in 2026, up from 6.1 billion people, or 74%, in 2025. Despite this growth, 2 billion people still remain offline and unconnected, highlighting the persistent digital divide globally. ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, emphasized that in the age of AI, being offline means missing out on numerous opportunities such as education and employment, stressing the need to expand connectivity and make it meaningful for everyone, everywhere.\n\nThe report, titled 'Facts and Figures' 2026, showed continued progress towards universal connectivity but revealed significant disparities in connectivity. High-income countries reported an internet usage rate of 93%, compared to just 32% in low-income nations. The report stressed that closing gaps in affordability, availability, quality, and usage of digital technologies and services is crucial for achieving universal and meaningful connectivity.\n\nCosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, noted that the expansion of global connectivity offers opportunities for socio-economic development and supports broader access to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. He highlighted the importance of prioritizing digital skills alongside connectivity, as lacking them could prevent many from benefiting from technology, thus reinforcing existing digital divides.\n\nThe report provided detailed data on internet use, subscriptions, traffic, affordability, digital skills, mobile network coverage, and mobile phone ownership across various demographics. Globally, 79% of men and 74% of women used the internet, with the gender ratio improving to 0.94. Internet usage was notably higher among the 15-24 age group at 86%, compared to 74% for the rest of the population. The urban-rural divide in internet access had narrowed, with 82% of urban residents connected, compared to 63% in rural areas. Mobile phone ownership stood at 84% globally, exceeding 95% in high-income countries and 57% in low-income nations. Mobile network coverage was strong at 97%, but advanced technologies like 5G were unevenly distributed, reaching 59% of the global population, from 86% in high-income countries to only 4% in low-income nations. Average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription was 20 GB in high-income countries, six times higher than the 3.4 GB in low-income countries. The report also noted that landlocked developing countries and small island developing states achieved their affordability target for the first time in 2026. As AI reshapes the global landscape, ITU emphasized that connectivity, affordability, and digital skills would determine who reaped the benefits of emerging technologies.",
  "summary": "Emma Okonji An estimated 6.3 billion people, approximately 76 per cent of the world’s population, now have access to the internet in 2026, up from a revised estimate of 6.1",
  "key_points": [
    "6.3 billion people, 76% of world population, now online",
    "2 billion people still offline, highlighting digital divide",
    "ITU stresses need to expand connectivity and digital skills"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}