Evidence-Based Research on Internet Connectivity: A Prerequisite for Effective Policymaking

Abstract

A wide range of governments, companies, and civil society organizations are experimenting with new ways to connect more people to the internet. Recent research has revealed that promoting adoption is a more complex problem than initially thought. Surveys conducted in both the developing and the developed world consistently find that lack of perceived relevance and lack of digital literacy represent barriers that are just as important as network availability and cost. These insights underscore that interventions that promote adoption must address user-based concerns as well as provider-based concerns.

1 World Connected

1 World Connected is a research project that systematically compiles, analyses and disseminates information on connecting the unconnected.