Based on the research and interviews conducted for this report, there are three key pillars to address: Skills, Digital inclusion and Relevant / local content and services.
Under each pillar there is a list of issues to resolve in order to move towards empowering communities:
A fundamental requirement for the remaining 2.9 billion people to be able to connect is having the capabilities to understand, use and configure digital technology for meaningful engagement. Developing these skills across populations is hindered by:
There are many ways in which discrimination and barriers to access more acutely affect particular groups of people, owing to e.g. structural inequalities and marginalization. Historically, these have been insufficiently addressed and have manifested into larger obstacles including:
Although there exists a myriad of digital products and services, not all of these are equally accessible, applicable or empowering to everyone. They may especially lack relevance for people living in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
This is because of:
The next three sub-sections explore these key issues in further detail. Issues that are closely related or similar in nature are explored jointly. A set of potential interventions to tackle these issues are also introduced, but these are not exhaustive and only represent a sample of ideas on how to address the ADOPTION challenge. All stakeholders are encouraged to consider additional actions to help bring the remaining 2.9 billion people online.