Technology can be a great equalizer as well as a divider
For most of us, access to the world is just a click away, via an internet search bar. We take online access for granted to the extent that it has been declared a universal human right.
A 2023 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report revealed that approximately 67% of the world’s population, or 5.36 billion people, are now online. We can see this as a cause for celebration. Yet a third of the world still lives off the grid.
In today’s hyperconnected world, internet access, which was supposed to be the great equalizer, is becoming something that sets us apart. The phenomenon known as the digital divide manifests itself in different forms, cutting across global lines. The issue has gained prominence and was the subject of a recent discussion at Davos.
The digital divide: a less talked-about phenomenon ‘accelerated’ by the pandemic
During the pandemic, we were introduced to new technologies that altered the way the world works. For many people, the default mode was a work-from-home model, and with that emerged new technology that digitally transformed how society worked. While many of us were fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits of hybrid work as a result of the pandemic, the digital divide is made even more apparent and wider now.
What then happens to those who never had internet access?
A significant portion that has been excluded from the digital economy continues to struggle in the dark. Without internet access, basic needs like e-learning become impossible. In India, which has the world’s second-largest school system, the pandemic disrupted education for over 300 million learners. As in many countries, schools shuttered, but low internet accessibility meant the switch to online education was not an option. The situation created more dropouts than ever, impacting and exacerbating existing inequalities.
In Southeast Asia too, the digital divide is plainly visible. Digital infrastructure remains underdeveloped in many countries, with over half the population unconnected. This means that in Indonesia, for example, 81% of the population remains unbanked and held back from participating in society. Without a financial record, they cannot build a credit history or climb the economic ladder. Their inability to take advantage of online services stymies their potential to save and invest for the future.
Building digital confidence
During the pandemic, as economies ground to a halt, only digitally enabled jobs remained workable. The perceived value of those outside the digital ecosystem fell further, along with their confidence. The longer those with poor digital literacy lack online access, the more helpless they feel. This absence of confidence drives them further away from attaining any form of digital ability, while the world continues to innovate and move on.
But with the Cloud Phone, we can rebuild that confidence.
Cheap devices powered by Cloud Phone technology provide people with no digital literacy with a platform to learn how to use technology. By putting access to the internet and app ecosystem in their hands, we are digitally empowering these individuals. Cloud Phone technology offers a gentle introduction to the digital world, slowly helping restore this lost confidence.
Bridging the divide
Bridging the digital divide will not happen overnight. But feature phones can be a critical gateway for the world’s underserved populations. These affordably priced devices are the one way that those for whom smartphones are out of reach can connect to the wider world.
On feature phones with Cloud Phone technology, users are able to access the internet through cloud-enabled applications and enjoy comparable functionality to that of a smartphone, opening up a world of possibilities. While the digital divide will remain a reality, meaningful innovation through simple technology represents a step towards bridging it, one user at a time.
