According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an estimated 2.7 billion people, or about one-third of the world’s population, remain unconnected to the Internet in 2022.
While the UN earlier this year announced new targets for universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be achieved by 2030, the ITU said that "access to the Internet is increasing, but not as quickly and evenly across the world as it needs to."
Lack of access to the Internet can lead to disparities in accessing education, health services, and economic opportunities. It is therefore essential to bridge the remaining digital divide to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to benefit from the digital economy.