Telecom Coalition to Enhance Smartphone Access in Poor Nations

GSMA introduces a global coalition to enhance smartphone accessibility and affordability for disadvantaged populations worldwide

The coalition will consist of mobile operators, vendors, and global institutions such as the World Bank Group, the United Nations agency ITU, and the WEF Edison Alliance, the GSMA said in a statement.

It said it will assess ways to lower the cost of entry into the digital economy for low-income populations, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

“Handset affordability is often recognized as the most significant barrier to getting people online,” the GSMA said.

It said mobile is often the only way for people in low and middle-income countries to access the internet, with 38% of the global population living in areas where they cannot use mobile internet due to barriers such as high cost and lack of skills.

“The coalition will collaborate to improve access to affordable internet-enabled devices to close the ‘Usage Gap,’ which holds back around three billion people worldwide from maximizing their potential in the global digital economy,” it added.