Digital Literacy Gap Leaves 3.1 Billion Offline, Report Finds $3.5T GDP Stake
Paris – September 15, 2026 -- More than one in three people, or 38%, remain offline despite living within mobile broadband coverage zones, according to a new report from GSMA Intelligence produced in collaboration with Huawei and unveiled at UNESCO's Digital Learning Week. The report, titled "Bridging the Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy in the AI Era," attributes the gap to shortfalls in digital skills, user trust and AI literacy affecting 3.1 billion people worldwide.
Physical network coverage has outpaced actual usage
Mobile broadband infrastructure now physically reaches 96% of the global population, the report states, yet usage lags far behind due to capability barriers rather than access constraints. Closing this capability gap could add approximately $3.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with more than 90% of those gains projected to flow to low- and middle-income countries.