Covid-19 makes it clearer than ever: access to the internet should be a universal right

Billions of people don’t have the option to turn to the web in times of need or normality. A gross digital divide holds back almost half the planet when it most needs the web. This divide is most acutely experienced in developing countries. But the challenge extends to the wealthiest nations, too. The Alliance for Affordable Internet, an initiative of the World Wide Web Foundation, has outlined urgent actions that governments and companies should take to provide this lifeline to more people as quickly as possible. 

• Governments must lead the way. They must invest in network infrastructure, not only in urban centres, but in rural settings where market forces alone fail to connect residents. And because data affordability remains one of the biggest barriers to access, these networks must be efficient. And, to connect everyone, governments will need to target typically excluded groups – including people on low incomes, women, and those in rural areas. This means funding public access and digital literacy initiatives to ensure everyone has the skills to use the internet in meaningful ways.
• Service providers must invest in network performance, reliability and coverage so that everyone is within reach of high-quality connectivity.
• And we can all play a role as individuals. If you’ve relied on the web recently, don’t you owe it to the other half of the world to help them get that lifeline, too? Demand action from your government to make universal internet connectivity a priority. Support a technology NGO such as the World Wide Web Foundation. Back the Contract for the Web — a collaborative project to build a better web, with universal connectivity as a key priority.

[Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web. He is co-founder of the World Wide Web Foundation and chief technology officer at Inrupt]