Breaking Barriers – Closing the Digital Divide - GSMA

Breaking Barriers – Closing the Digital Divide - GSMA

What is the Digital Divide?

The Digital Divide refers to the gap between people who have access to and make use of ICTs — and those who do not.

This divide isn’t just about who has access to the mobile internet; it’s about who can meaningfully participate in the digital world.

The Digital Divide has two key components:

The ‘Coverage Gap’ – People who live in areas without mobile network infrastructure.
The ‘Usage Gap’ – People who live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use it due to various barriers.

What is the Coverage Gap?

Currently, 96% of the world’s population is already covered by mobile broadband networks, thanks to decades of infrastructure investment by mobile network operators. Reaching the remaining 4% (the Coverage Gap) remains very challenging but technologies like satellite are helping form part of the solution – reaching remote, rural, and underserved regions where traditional mobile towers can’t go. This part of the Digital Divide affects around 300 million people.

A woman wearing a bright yellow headwrap and dress with blue patterns smiles while talking on a cellphone, highlighting how connectivity helps bridge the digital divide. She wears a pearl necklace and stands outdoors by a reddish wall, another person behind her.

What is the Usage Gap?

Despite nearly every region on Earth being within range of a mobile signal, 3.1 billion people living under mobile broadband coverage remain offline. This is the Usage Gap. These people are held back not by the absence of infrastructure – but by the barriers to adopting mobile internet. It affects around 38% of the global population – the equivalent of the combined population of China, India, the USA and Indonesia – making it nine times the size of the Coverage Gap.

A person wearing a straw hat, checked shirt, and brown pants stands in a green crop field using a tablet device, highlighting efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural agriculture. Hills, scattered trees, and a bright sky fill the background.

A red graphic shows a city with cell towers and houses under a curved signal, labeled “96% of the population.” At the edge, a satellite connects rural houses, highlighting how the digital divide and usage gap affect those in remote areas.

What stops people from getting online?

There are five principal barriers that prevent people from using the connectivity already available to them:

Affordability

Inability to afford internet-enabled handsets and other costs beyond ownership such as data plans and services fees

“I sold (my phone) because I wanted to support my family… [at least] we could survive for about three weeks after selling that phone.”

– A woman in Kenya explains how she and her family coped financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read our policy paper on how addressing handset affordability can help expand digital inclusion in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper is designed to help policymakers, governments and telecom regulators turn strategy into action by illustrating how these recommendations are being implemented in diverse global contexts.

Download Policy Paper

Lack of Digital Literacy and Skills

Lack of awareness and understanding of mobile internet, its benefits and uses, as well as lack of literacy, digital skills and confidence

“The internet is for intelligent, educated people. Those of us with half knowledge won’t use it.”

– A woman from urban India highlights the digital skills gap.

Read our policy paper on how addressing digital knowledge and skills can help expand digital inclusion in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper is designed to help policymakers, governments and telecom regulators turn strategy into action by illustrating how these recommendations are being implemented in diverse global contexts.

Download Policy Paper

A young man and woman stand outside, smiling and looking at a mobile phone together. The background is urban with a railing and blurred buildings. Above them is a red banner with white and pink text about advancing digital knowledge for inclusion and economic growth.

Limited Relevant Content and Services

Lack of relevant content, products and services that meet users’ preferences and needs, including those that are accessible, easy to use and in local languages

“If you don’t have proper English, it can be a barrier… everything is in English. It would be good if there’s something in Sinhala.”

– A Sri Lankan woman comments on the lack of relevant local content, which prevents her from utilising mobile connectivity.

Read our policy paper on how to bridge the digital divide with relevant content, products and services. The paper is designed to help policymakers, governments and telecom regulators turn strategy into action by illustrating how recommendations to address the relevance barriers are being implemented in diverse global contexts.

Download Policy Paper

Two older women sit on a park bench, smiling and looking at a mobile phone together. Above them, a red banner reads: “Breaking Barriers: Bridging the Digital Divide and Closing the Usage Gap with Relevant Content, Products and Services.”.

Concerns About Online Safety

Concerns about the negative aspects and risks of the internet including issues such as harassment, identify theft, harmful content and information security

“We’ve seen girls and boys get in trouble using the internet — girls can get raped or even killed.”

– A man from Bangladesh warns how security fears prevent people from getting online.

Lack of Fundamental Enablers

Lack of access to networks and enablers, such as electricity, formal ID, devices, customer service touch points (e.g. agents), as well as restrictive social norms

“I previously had to walk three hours to another town to charge my phone, but now that there is a mobile charging booth in my village, I’m now able to use my phone and access the internet more often.”

– A Tegea village resident (250 km northwest of Nairobi, Kenya) explains how a lack of access to electricity meant she was only able to use mobile internet infrequently.

Infographic with red background about closing the Digital Divide. It features stats, barrier causes (affordability, relevance, skills), economic benefits, and solutions addressing the Usage Gap. Icons include a globe, charts, people, and “Breaking Barriers, Building Usage.”.

Understanding the Coverage Gap vs. Usage Gap

	Coverage Gap	Usage Gap
Definition	The portion of the population not covered by a mobile broadband network.	The portion of the population covered by a network but not using the mobile internet.
Size (2024)	About 4% of the global population	About 38% of the global population
Primary Cause	Lack of infrastructure (e.g., remote geography, cost of towers)	Barriers like affordability, skills, trust, and relevance
Who Can Help?	Mobile operators, satellite providers, and governments building coverage	Policymakers, mobile operators & wider ecosystem, NGOs, tech companies addressing usage barriers

How Can We Close the Usage Gap? – Together

There is no single solution to as big and complex an issue as the Usage Gap and as such, no one entity can tackle it alone. Instead, it will require a concerted, collective and collaborative approach to break these barriers and build usage. Today, the most effective way to close the Digital Divide is to address the Usage Gap.

Mobile Operators

Mobile Operators

Continue expanding and maintaining infrastructure, especially 4G and 5G networks. Work with manufactures to provide affordable entry-level smartphones and support digital literacy programs.

Two women with dark braided hair, dressed in colorful traditional clothing, sit closely together in front of a brown wall. Smiling warmly as they look at a mobile phone, they share a joyful moment bridging the digital divide.

Satellite Operators

Satellite Operators

Provide alternative and additional options to the consumer market while filling in the last-mile gaps by providing internet access to the most remote regions—where laying fibre or building towers is impossible or impractical.

A smiling man in bright, patterned clothing and hat stands on a sunlit brick path, looking at a smartphone—bridging the digital divide in an outdoor, relaxed setting with concrete steps, shaded chairs, and foliage behind him.

Policy Makers

Policy Makers

Introduce smart, inclusive policies that reduce tax on devices and data, invest in education, and build trust through policies such as data protection laws.

An elderly man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a colorful Rajasthani turban and a light shirt, sits outdoors holding a black cellphone to his ear—bridging the digital divide as he converses. The background is blurred and earthy.

Local Innovators and Tech Companies

Local Innovators and Tech Companies

Create relevant and local-language content, services that meet real community needs, and platforms that are simple, secure, intuitive and empowering.

Two women wearing headscarves and traditional clothing smile and look at a smartphone together, bridging the digital divide. One is younger, in a colorful scarf and striped sweater; the other older, in a purple shawl. They share a joyful moment indoors.

Key Resources

A woman wearing a colourful striped headscarf and patterned clothing talks on a mobile phone outdoors, highlighting the digital divide. She appears focused and concerned, standing in a park area with blurred trees, greenery, and a nearby path.

Closing the Digital Divide

A mobile industry perspective

A young man and woman smile at each other outdoors. The woman holds a smartphone as the man points at it, highlighting the usage gap. The background features a horizontal red and maroon pattern. Both appear happy and engaged in conversation.

Advancing Digital Knowledge and Skills for Greater Inclusion and Economic Growth

Two women smile and laugh together while looking at a smartphone, bridging the digital divide. One wears a red top, the other a white one with large sunglasses. In the foreground are yellow fruits piled on a market stall, with stalls blurred in the background.

Improving Handset Affordability For Greater Inclusion and Economic Growth

A hand illuminated by neon pink and blue light holds and swipes on a smartphone screen, highlighting the digital divide. The deep blue background and glowing circular aura create a futuristic digital effect.

The Impact of Financing Schemes on Handset Affordability