ITU 2025 Report: 74% Global Online, But "Meaningful Connectivity" Stalls Due to 5G and Affordability Gaps
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 5: Gender Equality
Institutions: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) | Department of Telecommunications (DoT) | TRAI
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report, “Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2025,” reveals that while global internet penetration has reached 74% (6 billion people), deep structural inequalities persist. The report highlights that the digital divide has shifted from simple access to a “quality chasm” defined by a lack of “meaningful connectivity”—the ability to use the internet safely, productively, and affordably.
Income & Regional Disparity: High-income countries boast 94% internet penetration, whereas low-income countries lag severely at 23%, with Africa recording the lowest regional penetration at 36%.
The Connectivity Quality Gap: While 96% of the global population is covered by at least 3G, a stark 5G divide has emerged: 84% coverage in high-income nations versus just 4% in low-income countries.
The Usage Gap: A massive “usage gap” persists, driven by affordability—60% of low- and middle-income countries still find internet services unaffordable, failing to meet the Broadband Commission’s target of 2% of GNI per capita.
Demographic Divides: The urban-rural gap remains wide (85% urban vs. 58% rural penetration), and the gender parity score (0.92) has remained stagnant since 2019, with women in Africa and Arab States lagging significantly behind.
For India’s “Digital India” mission, the data serves as a critical reality check. While India has aggressively rolled out 5G, the report’s finding that rural internet penetration is only 58% globally (and likely lower in low-income segments) highlights the urgency of the BharatNet project to bridge the urban-rural fiber gap. Furthermore, the stagnation in gender parity and the high cost of access relative to income in LMICs suggests that MeitY must prioritize digital literacy programs and device affordability schemes to convert passive “coverage” into active, meaningful participation for women and rural populations.
What is “Meaningful Connectivity” versus Basic Access?→ “Meaningful Connectivity” is the new ITU benchmark that moves beyond basic access (living within a network footprint). It requires available, affordable (costing <2% of GNI per capita (average income per person in an economy) ), high-speed (fixed broadband/5G) internet, combined with access to an appropriate device (like a smartphone/laptop) and the digital skills to use it safely and productively. The report highlights that while mobile broadband traffic is growing faster (19% annually), fixed broadband traffic remains five times greater, underscoring the productivity gap between mobile-only users and those with robust fixed connections.
Follow the full report here: ITU Publications: Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2025