03 July 2024

Around 2.6 billion people are still not connected to the internet, but artificial intelligence (AI) may be the key to changing that.

According to the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development’s ‘The State of Broadband 2024: Leveraging AI for Universal Connectivity,’ the number of internet users grew to 5.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit 5.5 billion by the end of 2024.

That leaves 2.6 billion people still offline, especially in developing and least-developed countries. An estimated 38% of the global population lives within mobile broadband coverage and not using it, while 5% of the population is not covered by mobile broadband at all.

The report says that AI solutions can help accelerate progress on the commission’s seven broadband advocacy targets for 2025: make broadband policy universal; make broadband affordable; get everyone online; promote digital skills development; increase use of e-finance; get MSMEs online; and bridge the gender digital divide.

Indeed, Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development’s report said that telcos are increasingly using AI to reduce costs and optimize deployment and data traffic management across their network, as well as improve operations and the overall customer experience. By mapping network data and performance metrics to operations, customer care, marketing, and sales from a subscriber perspective, telcos can identify and address most network issues, before they affect subscribers.

The report says that emerging technologies stand to revolutionize the way decisions are taken and services are provided. AI is already reshaping the delivery of traditional services in sectors such as government, education, healthcare and finance. However, it also acknowledges challenges associated with AI and other emerging technologies, including energy consumption, misinformation, reinforcement of biases and gender discrimination.

The key for telcos and policymakers is to figure out how to get the most out of AI while being realistic about its risks and finding ways to mitigate them.

Rwanda’s minister of information communication technology and innovation Paula Ingabire said that emerging technology trends like AI are anticipated to add trillions to the global digital economy, but added that “the ability to harness artificial intelligence to revolutionize access to broadband and other services as well as boost productivity for different sectors will require massive investments in the building blocks including power, connectivity and computing resources, particularly in emerging economies.”

“Having two thirds of the world’s population now online is a cause for celebration. But with only half as many connected in least-developed countries, and even less among women, the new report shows the urgent work still to be done,” said UNESCO director General Audrey Azoulay, co-vice chair of the Commission. “We must also address the risks faced by those online, through better governance of digital platforms, ethical use of AI and massive upscaling in digital skills, including media and information literacy.”