A third of the world’s population remains without internet in 2022 and the pace of new connections has slowed, according to the latest UN statistics published last Friday. “Some 5.3 billion people in the world use the internet and although growth continues to be encouraging, the trend suggests that, without new investments in infrastructure and a new drive to create new digital knowledge, the chances of connecting the world population by 2030 they seem increasingly scarce”, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said in a press release.
Costa Rica occupies the third place in the list of countries with the highest hiring expectations by the end of the year. In 2022, some 2.7 billion people do not have access to the internet; in 2019, before covid-19, there were 3.6 billion. The pandemic “gave us a good boost in terms of connectivity, but we have to keep up the same pace to ensure that everyone can benefit”, said Houlin Zhao, secretary general of this organization.
Regional disparities remain strong. Europe ranks first with 89% of its population connected and the Americas show rates above 80%, but in regions such as Africa the connection reaches only 40% of the population. The ITU has identified 2 main obstacles: the fact that the populations that are not yet connected are located in more remote and difficult to reach areas, and the difficulties in moving from simple access to regular and simple access.
To achieve a fully connected global population, the organization advocates for “more investment in digital networks and technologies, regulation and best-example training”.
