Digital gap widens as poor nations lag in mobile access

The International Telecommunication Union has indicated a growing digital divide as mobile phone ownership in low-income countries remains significantly behind that of high-income nations.

The ITU’s latest findings revealed that only 56 per cent of people over the age of 10 own a mobile device in low-income economies, compared to more than 95 per cent in high-income regions.

The report, “Global Internet Use Continues to Rise but Disparities Remain, Especially in Low-Income Regions,” underscores the differences in mobile phone ownership worldwide.

While global mobile ownership has reached 80 per cent, the disparity between regions continues to widen.

Low-income countries, with economic constraints and limited infrastructure, face barriers to providing affordable access to mobile devices.

“Globally, four out of five people over 10 years old own a mobile phone,” the report stated, adding that while major differences exist between countries, more than 95 per cent of people in high-income economies own a mobile phone, compared to just 56 per cent in low-income countries.

The lack of mobile ownership in these nations is a significant barrier to accessing vital digital services such as mobile banking, education, and healthcare.

The ITU’s findings suggested that this disparity is largely driven by economic limitations, affordability issues, and the absence of essential infrastructure.

The report also emphasised that while mobile network coverage is expanding globally, the cost of mobile phones remains prohibitive for many individuals in low-income regions.

As a result, the benefits of digital connectivity remain out of reach for a substantial portion of the population in these countries.

“Mobile phones are the most common gateway to the internet, so the prevalence of mobile ownership can indicate internet penetration.

However, this is not a one-to-one relationship: for one thing, people other than the owner may use the phone to access the internet (e.g., children using the phone of a parent), and some mobile phones used on a calls-only basis (feature phones, limited subscriptions).”

It added, “Some people may own more than one mobile phone.”