{"id":7953,"date":"2026-11-03T18:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T18:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/03\/global-internet-use-hits-76-but-low-income-countries-lag-at-32-businessday-ng\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T18:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T18:01:48","slug":"global-internet-use-hits-76-but-low-income-countries-lag-at-32-businessday-ng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/03\/global-internet-use-hits-76-but-low-income-countries-lag-at-32-businessday-ng\/","title":{"rendered":"Global internet use hits 76%, but low-income countries lag at 32% \u2013 Businessday NG"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global Internet usage rose to 6.3 billion people, representing 76 percent of the world\u2019s population in 2026, but a widening gap in the quality and affordability of connectivity continues to exclude billions, particularly in low-income countries.\n<\/p>\n

According to the International Telecommunication Union\u2019s (ITU) Facts and Figures 2026, released on Tuesday, the number of Internet users increased from a revised estimate of 6.1 billion, or 74 percent of the global population, in 2025.\n<\/p>\n

Despite the progress, approximately two billion people remain offline, highlighting the uneven distribution of digital infrastructure and access as economies increasingly depend on Internet connectivity, digital services and artificial intelligence.\n<\/p>\n

The disparity is particularly pronounced across income groups. Internet penetration in high-income countries stands at 93 percent, almost three times the 32 percent recorded in low-income countries.\n<\/p>\n

The gap extends beyond basic Internet access to the availability of advanced telecommunications infrastructure. While 5G networks cover 86 percent of populations in high-income countries, coverage in low-income countries stands at just four percent.<\/p>\n

This disparity raises concerns about the ability of poorer economies to participate in an increasingly AI-driven global economy, where access to high-speed connectivity, computing infrastructure and digital skills will determine how businesses and individuals benefit from emerging technologies.\n<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0Why financial institutions must unlock private investment, create employment, says Sanwo-Olu<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU secretary-general, said being offline in the age of artificial intelligence means being excluded from opportunities in education, employment and other areas of economic activity.\n<\/p>\n

Bogdan-Martin said expanding connectivity and making it meaningful for everyone had become more urgent as technology reshapes societies.\n<\/p>\n

The ITU report also reveals that the digital divide is not limited to differences between wealthy and poorer countries but extends across gender, age and geographical location.<\/p>\n

Globally, 79 percent of men use the Internet, compared with 74 percent of women. Although the gender gap is narrowing, women remain less connected.\n<\/p>\n

Similarly, Internet usage among young people aged 15 to 24 stands at 86 percent, compared with 74 percent among the rest of the population.\n<\/p>\n

Geographical inequalities also persist, with 82 percent of urban residents connected to the Internet against 63 percent of people living in rural areas.\n<\/p>\n

The differences are reflected in how much people consume online. Average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription in high-income countries stands at 20 gigabytes, approximately six times the 3.4 gigabytes recorded in low-income countries.\n<\/p>\n

This suggests that the digital divide increasingly concerns not just whether people can connect but also the quality, capacity and intensity of their access.<\/p>\n

Affordability remains another obstacle. Although the global median price of a data-only mobile broadband basket declined to 1.2 percent of gross national income (GNI) per capita, the median cost in least developed countries remains significantly higher at 6.1 percent.\n<\/p>\n

The ITU said three in 10 economies worldwide still fail to meet its affordability targets for both fixed and mobile broadband services.\n<\/p>\n

However, the report identified some progress among developing economies. Landlocked developing countries and small island developing states met, for the first time in 2026, the widely recognised affordability target of two percent of GNI per capita for mobile broadband.\n<\/p>\n

Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of ITU\u2019s Telecommunication Development Bureau, said expanding access alone would not guarantee that people benefit from digital technologies.\n<\/p>\n

Zavazava stressed the importance of digital skills and meaningful connectivity, warning that without them, the benefits of emerging technologies could remain inaccessible to large sections of the population.<\/p>\n

For developing economies, the figures underline a challenge beyond connecting more people: building affordable, reliable and sufficiently advanced networks that allow households and businesses to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.\n<\/p>\n

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into education, healthcare, financial services and business operations, the difference between having basic Internet access and having meaningful connectivity could determine which countries capture the next wave of digital economic growth.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRoyal Ibeh<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria\u2019s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Businessday NG<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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