{"id":17855,"date":"2024-07-11T10:34:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T09:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=17855"},"modified":"2024-07-11T10:34:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T09:34:16","slug":"new-gsma-handset-affordability-coalition-will-accelerate-access-to-smartphones-for-low-income-populations-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=17855","title":{"rendered":"New GSMA \u2018Handset Affordability Coalition\u2019 will accelerate access to smartphones for low income populations worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global Mobile Operators, the World Bank Group, ITU, and other global institutions come together to improve handset affordability for lower-income populations<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new global coalition which will drive innovative solutions to boost handset affordability for some of the world\u2019s poorest populations was announced by the GSMA. Members include major global mobile operators, vendors, device ecosystem players, international organisations and financing institutions, such as the World Bank Group, the ITU and the WEF Edison Alliance. The coalition will collaborate to improve access to affordable internet-enabled devices to close the \u2018Usage Gap\u2019, which holds back around three billion people worldwide from maximising their potential in the global digital economy.
\nMobile remains the primary \u2013 and often only \u2013 way people in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) access the internet, accounting for 84% of broadband connections in 2023. Yet three billion people \u2013 38% of the world\u2019s population \u2013 live in areas covered by mobile internet but do not use it due to barriers, including digital literacy and skills, lack of relevant content, online safety and access. Handset affordability is often recognised as the most significant barrier to get people online.
\nThe new coalition will assess multiple \u2018levers\u2019 to reduce the cost of entry into the digital economy for low-income populations, with particular focus on LMICs and areas where handset affordability presents the highest barrier to getting online, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. By exploring new solutions including \u2018de-risking\u2019 financing mechanisms, with the support of the World Bank Group, the coalition will enhance and complement ongoing efforts to expand digital access and affordability.
\nGoing forward, the GSMA will continue to facilitate close collaboration between coalition members to share learnings, asses, and deploy tailored innovative models that can effectively narrow the usage gap.
\nMats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, said: \u201cMobile has helped billions of people worldwide to play an active role in our increasingly digital world, but the cost of entry can still be too high for many on low incomes. Together with global mobile operators, and the support of the World Bank Group and other key coalition members, we\u2019re determined to act on this issue.\u201c
\n\u201cBy building creative solutions to bring mobile internet into the hands of those who need it the most, we believe we can make real strides towards closing the Usage Gap and help millions more maximise their potential by getting online.\u201d
\nGuangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure from the World Bank said: \u201cMaking internet connected devices more affordable is critical to accelerating digitalization in developing countries and ensuring no one is left behind. We\u2019ve seen the power of digital technologies to unlock growth and job creation and to ease access to education and health services, but people must first be connected to make this a reality. This coalition brings together key players across industry and the development community to help bring this aspiration to life.\u201c
\nDoreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the ITU added: \u201cIn an age of unimaginable digital opportunities, devices are still out of reach for too many. With the 2025 Broadband Commission affordability target on the horizon, this new global coalition is an excellent complement to the work of the Commission\u2019s Working Group on Smartphone Access. It has the power to accelerate affordability and bring us one step closer to universal meaningful connectivity, a cornerstone of ITU\u2019s mission and our digital future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s announcement of the Handset Affordability Coalition represents a tangible commitment from the mobile industry towards tackling the most substantial barrier to mobile adoption worldwide, and is backed by the GSMA\u2019s Breaking Barriers campaign, which calls for greater focus and collaboration between governments and the mobile industry to address the multiple challenges holding back individuals from getting online.<\/p>\n

Above, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the ITU \/ image credited to ITU<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Global Mobile Operators, the World Bank Group, ITU, and other global institutions come together to improve handset affordability for lower-income populations A new global coalition which will drive innovative solutions to boost handset affordability for some of the world\u2019s poorest populations was announced by the GSMA. Members include major global mobile operators, vendors, device ecosystem … <\/p>\n

Continue reading \u00abNew GSMA \u2018Handset Affordability Coalition\u2019 will accelerate access to smartphones for low income populations worldwide\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17855"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17857,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17855\/revisions\/17857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}