Internet for All

The report identifies that over 4 billion people remain unconnected due to a complex mix of infrastructure gaps, high costs, lack of digital literacy, and a shortage of locally relevant content. It argues that no single solution exists and advocates for a multistakeholder approach combining government policy, private sector innovation, and international cooperation to bridge the digital divide.

• Approximately 4 billion people, or more than 55% of the global population, do not use the internet, with significant disparities existing between urban and rural areas; while broadband reaches nearly 70% of the world's population, it reaches less than 30% in rural regions.
• Infrastructure barriers are severe in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia due to electricity shortages, with nearly two-thirds of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa (about 600 million people) and nearly a quarter of South Asia (370 million people) lacking regular electrical power.
• Affordability is a critical constraint, particularly for the 13% of the global population living below the international poverty line. In many emerging markets, the cost of fixed-line or mobile access exceeds the United Nations' affordability threshold of 5% of average income.
• Gender inequality significantly impacts connectivity; women are less likely to access the internet than men in the same communities, and once online, they are 30-50% less likely to use it for income generation or public participation.
• A lack of skills and awareness is often a greater barrier than affordability. In Brazil, 70% of non-users cite a lack of need or skills as the primary limiting factor, while in India, 53% of non-users do not go online due to a perceived lack of need.
• The scarcity of locally relevant content in native languages hinders adoption, as 80% of online content is available in only 10 languages, and over half is in English, which is understood by only 21% of the world's population.
• Government policy can directly reduce costs through taxation changes; for example, Kenya's removal of VAT on mobile phones for two years led to handset sales doubling and penetration increasing by 20 percentage points.
• Public-private partnerships and international cooperation are essential for fundamental infrastructure, such as the $130 million East African Marine System (Teams) undersea cable connecting Kenya to the UAE and neighboring East African nations.
• Digitizing government services (e-government) is a powerful driver of internet use. In Colombia, the 'Gobierno en Línea' initiative resulted in half of all citizens interacting with the government through electronic channels by 2012.
• The adoption of mobile technology by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets like Brazil, China, and India correlates with faster revenue growth and job creation compared to laggards.

APA

World Economic Forum (2016). Internet for All. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Internet_for_All_Framework_Accelerating_Internet_Access_Adoption_report_2016.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Internet for All. 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Internet_for_All_Framework_Accelerating_Internet_Access_Adoption_report_2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Internet for All |date=April 2016 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Internet_for_All_Framework_Accelerating_Internet_Access_Adoption_report_2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2016internet, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Internet for All}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Internet_for_All_Framework_Accelerating_Internet_Access_Adoption_report_2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }