57 per cent of global urban population has no broadband access: study

A study conducted by a wireless infrastructure analyst firm has indicated that nearly 57 per cent of the total global urban population does not have access to broadband internet.

The study was released by the Wireless Broadband Alliance conducted by Maravedis Rethink Research on the occasion of World Wi-Fi day. It further pointed out that 37 of of the total 57 per cent belong to some of the world’s wealthiest cities.

“There is a clear divide between the digital haves and the digital have-nots. And while this divide generally mirrors socioeconomic trends around the world, there are surprisingly high levels of urban unconnected citizens in major cities,” said Shrikant Shenwai, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance.

The global report has revealed that the number of urban unconnected is highest in the Middle East (82 per cent) and Asia Pacific regions (68 per cent). Also, connectivity still remains a key issue in Europe (17 per cent) and North America (23 per cent). In Latin America, 55 per cent of people are without broadband internet connectivity.

London remains the most connected major global city with only 8 percent users not connected and Lagos is the least in terms of connectivity with 88.3 per cent without broadband connectivity.

The lack of urban connectivity can be attributed to a number of factors such as broadband adoption rates, income, age, access to computers, and computer literacy.

“World Wi-Fi Day is an opportunity to recognize the contributions being made to help connect the unconnected around the globe, whether they be in major cities or rural communities. We are therefore calling on cities, governments, operators and technology companies, including Facebook, Google and Microsoft, to come together today to help deliver affordable, sustainable connectivity for everyone, everywhere,” Shenwai said.