The internet is something most people take for granted these days, but a recent study from the International Telecommunications Union shows that roughly half the global population still lacks access to the internet.
4 billion still lack access to the Internet
Currently, over 3.2 billion people are online, and the vast majority of those people are in developed countries. However, 4 billion people are still offline. The ITU developed the study in 2000. It was designed to measure the overall growth of communication technologies and information growth. There was a seven-fold increase from 15 years ago, but the number is still just under half of the entire planet’s population.
The rise of mobile internet is set to change all that. Mobile broadband access is predicted to reach 69% of the world’s population this year, a percentage that’s significantly higher than the 45% in 2011. Houlin Zhao, ITU’s secretary general, feels pleased with the numbers, but he knows there is more that can be done to increase those numbers. He explained that the new numbers will help them identify who is behind.
A similar study from the U.K.
A similar study from the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics indicated that 6 million adults in the U.K. still haven’t used the internet. The study discovered the vast majority of internet users resided in the Southeast, with 90% of adults using the internet. The lowest comes from people in Northern Ireland with 80%. Most of those who don’t access the internet are either older or disabled. Only 40% of adults aged 75 or older use the internet on a regular basis.
Go On U.K. CEO Rachel Neaman explained:
“We are past the point where it is enough just to ‘be online’; you also need to have the digital skills in order to fully benefit from the opportunities available. “
Go On U.K. is a charity that helps people learn tech skills to benefit future opportunities.
