04/02/2025
With the Edison Alliance, we’ve taken a matrix approach in terms of how we’re thinking about the digital divide. The first piece is access. You need to have a cell phone tower, a subsea cable, or some way to have that connectivity. Pakistan has made great strides over the last 15 years, covering nearly 85% of the population.
One issue that still needs to be addressed is access to fibre optics, as pe*******on rates remain quite low. Now, of course, with mobile telephones, you can use different solutions like those that were just shared to provide basic options. But as we’re thinking about how we’re preparing for what’s coming today, we also want to be on the path for AI. We also need to think about the kinds of connectivity speeds we’ll need to unlock and enable those partnerships.
The second one is affordability. Can you afford your device, and can you afford your data plan? This is critical for ensuring continuous access.
And the third piece is usability. Do you have the skills? Is there relevant content in your language? So how do we look at where we can tackle each one of these individually?
If we want to close the divide, we need to think about this holistically within the broader context.
~ Kelly Ommundsen - Head of Digital Inclusion World Economic Forum ’s, EDISON ALLIANCE