Tuesday
August 18
2026

Analysis: USAID’s Exit Leaves a Gap in the Drive for Meaningful Connectivity

By Manny Pham

The world is more connected than ever. Some six billion people were online in 2025, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Yet 2.2 billion remained offline, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Even that figure understates the challenge: the GSMA estimates that more than three billion people live within mobile-broadband coverage but do not use mobile internet.

Photo courtesy of USAID U.S. Agency for International Development.

Source: Developing Telecoms (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Technology, Telecommunications
Tags
digital inclusion, e-commerce, global development, healthcare technology, infrastructure, partnerships, rural development, women entrepreneurs