2.5 billion people lack internet access. Connectivity can unlock their potential
- More than 2.5 billion people globally still lack internet access. In the least developed economies, a 10 percent increase in school connectivity can increase GDP per capita by 1.1 percent.
- To spread the benefits of digital inclusion, the Edison Alliance aimed to connect 1 billion people to key digital services like education and finance by 2025—and it has already hit that goal.
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
In an increasingly digital world, connectivity creates possibilities for people everywhere. Yet despite mobile network coverage extending to 92 percent of the world, more than 2.5 billion people still lack internet access.
This gap is a significant missed opportunity to address global challenges related to sustainable development—and fixing it starts early. An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report underscores the importance of school connectivity in enhancing learning outcomes and boosting economies. The report found that in the least developed countries, a 10 percent increase in school connectivity can improve children's effective years of schooling by 0.6 percent and increase GDP per capita by 1.1 percent. These figures emphasize the central role of digital education in fostering economic development and improving quality of life.
The importance of digital inclusion to bolstering these outcomes is why the Edison Alliance—a collaborative initiative convened to foster global digital inclusion—aims to connect 1 billion people to essential digital services like healthcare, education and finance by 2025. Convened by the World Economic Forum alongside partners including Ericsson, the Alliance recently announced that it has already reached its ambitious milestone, demonstrating the power of collective action.
But there is still much more to do to ensure that everyone has access to the benefits of digitalization and connectivity. The situation is especially urgent for children and young people who need a quality internet connection and the chance to acquire the skills to succeed in a digital economy.
Connectivity: the foundation of digital skills
While connectivity and digital literacy are an essential foundation, children in school today also need to develop the kinds of high-level digital skills that will deliver them success. An understanding of programing and coding, for example, is known to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue advanced information and communication technology (ICT) education and enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Ericsson has been working to deliver on the goals of the Alliance around the world, helping to build these kinds of skills in newly connected students. Ericsson’s digital learning and skills development program, Connect to Learn, has reached 485,000 students across 43 countries to date.
Ericsson was also the first private-sector partner to make a multi-million-dollar commitment to support the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) and the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Giga initiative. During our four-year partnership, we provided data sets for mobile coverage in 34 countries, covering more than 450,000 unique locations. With the support of its multiple partners, Giga has mapped 2.1 million schools and provided increased access to connectivity for 7.79 million students and 14,500 schools so far.
The company’s experience could help to inform the strategy of other impact-focused enterprises. Here are two case studies.
Malaysia: a 5G-ready workforce
As industries become increasingly digitalized, governments, industries and academic institutions must work together to build a skilled 5G-ready workforce. It is therefore essential to bridge the gap between the skills of workers and the skills sought by companies to address the realities of a digital economy.
In collaboration with the Malaysian government, Ericsson is providing free access to its Ericsson Educate global portal as part of the government’s Let’s Learn Digital program. This includes customized content for all Malaysian tertiary level students and the workforce. The content focuses on areas such as digital services, 5G, telecommunications, AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning.
India: excellence in higher education
In India, the rollout of 5G networks and growth in the manufacturing industry have created a demand for new skills in the telecom sector. In collaboration with the Indian Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), we launched a Center of Excellence at the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) to address this skills gap by offering world-class training and development. In its first year, the program trained about 300 students, providing them with valuable career opportunities in the telecom industry.
Bridging the financial divide through connectivity
While education is our key focus for the Edison Alliance, connectivity also plays a crucial role in financial inclusion. Within this area, mobile communications service providers initially focused on providing banking services, such as money transfers and small loans, to those without bank access.
Today, they are among the main providers of increasingly sophisticated financial services that help families save more and build financial stability. With more than 114 million active users in 24 countries and over 3 billion transactions worth USD 43 billion processed every month, Ericsson’s Mobile Financial Services show how connectivity can drive financial inclusion.
Mobile-based financial solutions record transactions electronically, making payments more secure. This increases transparency and helps formalize the economy. According to Juniper Research’s Digital Wallets report, the total value of digital wallet transactions is expected to increase from USD 9 trillion in 2023 to more than USD 16 trillion by 2028. At the same time, the number of digital wallet users globally will rise from 3.7 billion in 2023 to 5.4 billion by 2028.
In Pakistan, Easypaisa, a mobile wallet developed by Telenor Microfinance Bank in partnership with Ericsson, has transformed Pakistan’s financial landscape with advanced financial solutions, such as innovative APIs, MiniApp features, and buy now, pay later services that are driving technological innovation, significantly contributing to the digital economy.
The road ahead—achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
As we approach the 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, the urgency to harness the power of connectivity has never been greater.
The Edison Alliance milestone of 1 billion connections is a strong step—but time is of the essence. The power of connectivity must continue to be a fundamental enabler to achieve the sustainable development of society and improve lives for billions across the globe.
A modified version of this post was published by the World Economic Forum.
