Key takeaways

  • There is a vast digital divide among LDCs.
  • Only two LDCs have met SDG Target 9.c (“Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”) in regards to universality and affordability, which had a deadline originally set for end 2020.
  • The persisting usage gap reveals that coverage and affordability are not the only barriers to Internet use in LDCs.
  • A lack of awareness of what the Internet is, is by far the main reason those in the LDCs are not using it.
  • In addition, lacking digital skills remain a major challenge: apart from the 539 million who are covered but not using the Internet, many who are using it have only rudimentary digital skills and are prone to misinformation, online harms, and other negative impacts.
  • Another significant obstacle the LDCs face is enticing people to move from 2G activities to broadband services which has a greater impact on improving livelihoods than 2G narrowband.
  • LDCs are largely not making productive use of broadband technologies. For those users who enjoy broadband access, the primary applications are social media and video streaming. Policy makers have been focused on universal access rather than what broadband is used for. Now that the vast majority of people in LDCs are covered by mobile broadband, focus needs to shift from infrastructure deployment to productive use.  For individuals this includes how to use online commerce, finance, education, health and government services. For SMEs, this includes how to use the Internet to generate income.
  • E-commerce take up is low in LDCs. E-commerce is among the few sectors with potential to add value to LDCs and help to diversify their economies. Yet available data finds that even among Internet users, awareness of e-commerce platforms is low in LDCs.
  • Significant gaps in data infrastructure of LDCs remain, including national backbones, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and data centers.
  • Universal service funds (USFs) have been largely ineffective in expanding rural coverage.  If USFs are to continue to exist, it would be more effective to use them for training aimed at reducing the large gender and location digital skills divides.

Key statistics

  • In the context of SDG Target 9.c (“Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”), two targets were sets:  at least 95% of the population should be covered by a mobile broadband network, and mobile data prices should not exceed 2% of monthly income. Only two of the 46 LDCs met both targets within the identified timeframe. Another four countries met the coverage target and two more met the affordability target. This leaves 38 LDCs where network coverage remains too limited and Internet access too costly.
  • It is estimated that 76% of the population of LDCs is covered by a mobile broadband signal.
  • The average retail price of 1.5GB of data across LDCs is equivalent to 13.9% of monthly gross national income per capita.
  • It is estimated that 25% of the population of LDCs use the Internet (2020).
  • It is estimated that the LDCs had 351 million mobile broadband subscriptions in 2020 compared with 13 million fixed broadband subscriptions. Mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people was 33 in the LDCs in 2020 compared to only 1.3 for fixed broadband.
  • A survey conducted in eight LDCs across Asia and in Africa between 2017 and 2018 revealed that for 78% of participants on average, the main reason for not using the Internet was not knowing what it is. In Cambodia, this reason was cited by 97% of the participants.
  • At current trends, Internet usage would reach just less than a third of the population by 2025.
  • While 76% of the population of LDCs is covered by a mobile broadband signal, only 25% are using the Internet. That is, two thirds of the population who could use the Internet do not use it. This wide ‘usage gap’ shows that having access is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for getting online.
  • Less than a third of the population is within 10 kilometers or less of a national backbone and 14% are not covered. This has ramifications for Internet access and quality.
  • There are fewer than 100 Internet Exchange Points in LDCs and 19 LDCs do not have one (an IXP is a location where Internet service providers and content providers can exchange data traffic).