Report says that the Internet is a privilege of a minority – Univision

                                 

The Internet expansion is slowing and in 2014 declined for the fourth consecutive year, to 6.6%, according to a new study stresses that access to the network is still the privilege of a minority in the world.

 

“Internet is a powerful tool to connect people with information, ideas, resources, services and other people,” says the report by Internet.org, one led by Facebook initiative that seeks to connect two thirds of the world do not yet have access to the web.

 

The study, entitled “State of connectivity: Report on the global Internet,” recalls that, according to the latest UN figures, a total of 2,700 million people connected to the internet, equivalent to 37 9% of the world population, estimated at 7,100 million.

 

As people connected, in developed countries are 78% of the population in developing countries are 32%, according to statistics from Internet.org, showing that penetration rates are lower in the Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 13.7% and 16.9% of the population respectively connected to the web.

 

At the other end of the scale is North America, where 84.4% of the population is online.

 

The study highlights the divide between those who are connected and those that are not responding primarily to economic reasons, as evidenced by the fact that 94% of the population is online now residing in countries development.

 

“The United States and Russia, for example, have connectivity rates of 84%, while in Ethiopia and Myanmar connectivity rates are below 2%,” says the study.

 

A digital divide that joins the slowdown in the pace of growth of the internet, which, according to estimates by Internet.org, fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2014.

 

The report mentions, in this sense, that the number of people connected to the network in 2008 increased by 12.4%, a figure which fell to 6.6% in 2014.

 

“At current rates of growth slowdown, internet will not reach 4,000 million people by 2019,” said the report, which insists that the cooperation of the private sector is needed, governments and NGOs to improve global connectivity.

 

In general, the study noted that there are three reasons why people are offline: the lack of infrastructure to access the Internet, the prices are too high and the inability to find enough content on tongue native or read or understand the content available.

 

“These factors are interdependent and must be addressed as a whole,” said Internet.org, recalling that for a service affordable cost can not exceed 5% of the median income.

 

According to these standards, 34% of the world population can afford at least 500 MB of mobile data plan per month, 55% can afford 250 MB per month and 80% 100 MB per month.

 

The plan of 100 MB is sufficient for text applications, while allowing 500 MB have a satisfying Web experience.

 

The report emphasizes that those with access to 2 GB plans and capacity can have full connectivity.

 

The authors note that while market forces and competition have allowed access plans 100 MB and 250 MB are accessible to the majority of the population in India, in other areas, such as Africa Saharan Africa, 53% of the population is eligible plans only 20 MB, enough just to emails and text messages.