Web Inventor: World Must Close Internet Divide

World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee has said the COVID-19 pandemic
demonstrates "the gross inequality" of a world where almost half the population is
unable to connect to the internet.

Speaking at the launch of the UN's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, Berners-Lee said
that around 3.5 billion people have missed out on the "lifeline" the internet has provided
by enabling work and education to continue during the pandemic.

Since the onset of the pandemic, internet usage has jumped 70%, the use of
communication apps has grown by 300%, and virtual collaboration tools by 600%.
Some video streaming services have grown 20-fold, said Klaus Schwab, executive
chairman of the World Economic Forum.

But Schwab also emphasized that only about half of the world has internet access. Of
the 25 least connected countries, 21 are in Africa.

"This inequality is a barrier to wider equality, and we know it most affects those who are
already marginalized — people in developing countries, those on low incomes, and of
course, women and girls, Berners-Lee said.

Tackling inequality requires raising the bar from basic access to ensuring that people
have "meaningful connectivity" to the internet "that must include data and devices to use
the full power of it," Berners-Lee said.

By 2030, the UN Roadmap says that every person should have affordable access to the
internet.

The Roadmap aims "to connect, respect, and protect people in the digital age," and was
partly developed by the World Wide Web Foundation, co-founded by Berners-Lee.

Last year the foundation launched the "Contract for the Web," a global plan for
governments, companies and individuals to increase connectivity, protect people's
privacy, and keep knowledge freely available, among other goals.

The contract has 1,300 endorsements and the foundation is developing ways for
governments and companies to show how they're living up to commitments.

Discussion

1. What do you make of the fact that only about half of the world has internet
access?
2. Do you think it's likely that everyone will have affordable access to the internet by
2030? Why? Why not?
3. Is internet access expensive where you live?
4. Are you satisfied with the quality of your internet connection? Why? Why not?
5. What do you imagine would happen if the internet stopped working for a week?
6. When did you first start using the internet? How has it changed since then?
7. How many hours per day do you spend online?
8. Do you know anyone who doesn't have access to the internet?
9. Could you see yourself living in a place that has no internet access? Why? Why
not?
10. What would you say is the worst thing about the internet?
11. You affect the world by what you browse. — Tim Berners-Lee.
12. It's hard to think of an invention more important than the internet. — Unknown.