Despite progress in internet access globally, and market reforms bringing millions of people online, current policy and regulatory approaches have led to poor universal access outcomes. Conservatively, 4.5 billion people are not meaningfully digitally connected, many of them in Africa. This excludes many people from effective citizenship and participation in an increasingly digital economy and society.
These inequalities exist not only between those online and offline, but also between those who can use the Internet optimally and those who are ‘barely’ online. The digital inequality paradox lies in the empirical observation that as more people connect to digital technologies, digital inequalities are increasing.
This exclusion is caused by a lack of public data to inform policy and limited responsiveness of existing policies to the available evidence. Supply-side interventions aim to increase the supply of services (laying fibre-optic cables and mobile phone towers). In contrast, demand-side interventions focus on enabling people to use accessible services (ensuring affordability, awareness and skills). Evidence from regions with the lowest connectivity rates primarily identifies demand-side barriers, yet policy responses remain predominantly focused on supply-side and infrastructure interventions.
Issues such as disparities in wealth, social inequality and educational deficits fall outside the usual purview of Departments of Communications or Digital Economy. However, these need to be addressed to achieve digital inclusion. This will require a transversal policy that coordinates cooperation between the public and private sectors, and incentivises civil society, while still meeting national needs and promoting national interests in alignment with more inclusive global governance.
This paper looks at alternative regulatory strategies that can facilitate digital inclusion and meaningful, universal access to the internet through demand-side interventions. Prepared as a knowledge resource the Digital Economy Working Group of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, under Priority Area 1: Connectivity for inclusive digital development, this paper provides context and recommendations on enhancing digital inclusion among developing countries.
