In 2022, a third of the world's population remained without internet access and the pace of new connections has slowed, according to the latest UN statistics released on Friday.
"
Some 5.3 billion people around the world now use the internet and while growth continues to be encouraging, the trend suggests that without new investment in infrastructure and a new impetus to ignite new digital skills , the chances of connecting the world's population by 2030 seem increasingly slim
,” said the International Telecommunication Union, in a press release.
If this year 2.7 billion people still do not have access, they were still 3 billion in 2021 and 3.6 billion in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
This "
gave us a good boost in terms of connectivity, but we must maintain the same pace to ensure that everyone can benefit
" from digital, underlined Houlin Zhao, the secretary general of the United Nations organization.
“
This can only be achieved with more investment in digital networks and technologies, best-example regulation and training
,” he added.
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The IUT has identified two main obstacles to its goal of a fully connected global population: populations that are still unconnected are also the hardest to reach and the difficulties in moving from simple access to regular and easy access .
The ITU believes that the obstacles are often underestimated, such as: too slow connection speeds, too high prices for equipment and subscriptions, the lack of digital culture or even cultural and linguistic barriers, but also the discrimination of gender and sometimes the simple lack of access to electricity.
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While the increase in the number of people using the internet around the world is encouraging, we cannot simply assure that the strong growth seen in recent years will continue.
“Warned the American Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director in charge of development and above all a candidate for the succession of Houlin Zhao.
Opposed to a Russian candidate, Doreen Bogdan-Martin is the favorite in the election to be held at the end of September in Bucharest.
Regional disparities remain strong.
Africa is the least connected of the six ITU regions, with 40% of the population online, in Arab countries this rate is 70%.
In Asia-Pacific, the internet penetration rate has increased from 61% in 2021 to 64% this year.
The Americas, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe show rates of over 80%.
The Old Continent comes first with 89% of its population connected.