TELECOMS
3.7bn people , the majority of them women , and most in developing countries , are still offline
71 % of the world ’ s population aged 15-24 is online
57 % of the world ’ s population aged 25 + is online
62 % of men are online
“ Of course the car is going to be more difficult to use , and of course safety equipment won ' t be as effective if it was designed for someone who ' s a totally different size and shape ”
JANE RYGAARD PEDERSON HEAD OF DEDICATED WIRELESS NETWORKS & EDGE CLOUDS , NOKIA
thing in of itself - “ will have significant consequences for those rural residents facing digital exclusion due to lack of online skills and connectivity ,” commented Brian Wilson , chairman of Rural England CIC , when I reached out to him for comment on his organisation ’ s latest report . “ For
57 % of women are online
all the excitement about next generation gigabit broadband and 5G mobile , there are many rural homes and businesses in places which cannot yet obtain a last generation connection … The other increasingly urgent need is to give everyone the opportunity to acquire basic digital skills , to ensure that residents - rural or otherwise - do not face digital exclusion .”
The key to bridging the digital divide , then , lies at an intersection of providing education , exposure , and access to the digital world . However , the fact that some demographics are significantly more likely to be left on the “ wrong ” side of this widening gulf than others is also an expression of the lack of diversity in the industry that makes the technologies underpinning the digital world .
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