The report indicated that 200 million people gained Internet access in 2015, due to “more affordable data and rising global incomes,” adding that the remaining 4.1 billion could not get online and they need help to gain internet access and the economic opportunities it enables.
“The developed world is largely online, but the developing world is a long way behind,” the report said.
“Urban areas are connected, many rural areas are not. The less money you have, the less likely you are to be online. In many countries, women use the Internet far less than men. And even if the entire world lived within range of the necessary infrastructure, nearly a billion people remain illiterate or otherwise unable to benefit from online content,” the report added.
The report said improving access “is a major challenge that will require the cooperation of many stakeholders through innovation and investment.”
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It however warned that if there are no improvements in the current trend, a little above three billion people will remain offline by 2020, mostly in developing countries, including Nigeria.