INTERNET INCLUSION: OVERCOMING BARRIERS AND PROVIDING SOLUTIONS

Abstract

In a world where over four billion individuals reside at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP), approximately half, or two billion, possess the power of mobile phones (Sprague, 2014). Multiple studies have delved into the utilization and impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), particularly mobile phones, among impoverished populations. These studies inquire into the motivations driving mobile phone usage among the poor, the percentage of income expended on these services, their influence on income levels, and their impact on poverty. Notably, a three-year investigation in Peru revealed that households with internet access witnessed an average income increase of 19%, as compared to their internet-deprived counterparts (De Los Ríos, 2010). Likewise, a comparative study in two Kenyan villages demonstrated a reduction in poverty levels over five months in the village furnished with free mobile and internet access.

While some countries have yet to recognize access to ICT, particularly mobile phones, as a poverty reduction tool, various anecdotal examples and research highlight the positive effects of ICT on poverty levels. This paper explores whether it is advantageous for governments in developing nations to adopt a proactive stance in assisting the impoverished by ensuring widespread internet access.