Unequal Digital Access in South Asia: Barriers to Equitable Deployment of Technology

technologies and AI-powered tools have altered this to a certain extent as global education technology (edtech) giants penetrate markets, and customization to local markets is increasingly made possible. Nevertheless, the deployment of technology tools tends to serve the higher-end consumers and elite educational institutions because of the high cost of services and connectivity and bandwidth requirements.

Digital public platforms are a powerful means of reducing these inequalities. But beyond this, local innovations are needed to adapt technologies to local needs and provide them at an affordable cost. Such innovations are often constrained because few local firms have the technological capabilities, technical skills, capital, and incentives to undertake such innovations. Governments can thus play an important role in fostering and incentivizing the local private sector to adapt technologies for building human capital.

The tremendous opportunities provided by digital and converging technologies, including public platforms, cannot be exploited unless there is equitable digital access. Digital access should be understood in a broad sense, spanning affordable broadband connectivity and devices, availability of local language content, and the basic digital skills needed to utilize the technology. Access to electricity (or alternative energy sources) to power devices and access broadband must also be part of the solution. An important agenda for developing human capital in South Asia is therefore to advocate for bridging these divides to enable disadvantaged groups to benefit from service delivery and participate in the digital economy. In the short run, however, the most critical step is to ensure that the design of digital solutions, including the use of digital public platforms, takes into account adaptation of the final delivery mechanisms to the conditions faced by beneficiaries, such as lack of smartphones, lack of access to fixed broadband, lack of electricity, and limited digital skills and digital literacy.

Gaps in last-mile connectivity and affordability. The “last mile,” an expression referring to the last segment of the journey of broadband connectivity to its recipient, is in effect the first mile in the delivery of human development services. The South Asia region is home to the largest number of people without an internet connection— nearly a billion people out of a worldwide total of 3.2 billion. Data supplied by mobile phone operators reveal the differences in broadband speed and coverage across countries. In Afghanistan, for example, 90 percent of the population has access only to 2G networks, and only 2 percent have access to 4G networks. In Sri Lanka, 4G networks cover 90 percent of the population. In all countries, internet access is mostly through mobile phones, which limits the delivery at the household or individual level of education services for remote teaching or self-learning and of health services that require

prolonged interaction, among other functionalities. Barring India, other countries have limited fixed-line infrastructure, which affects the fixed broadband penetration rate and reliable high-speed connectivity, even for schools, health centers, and hospitals. International bandwidth usage is less than 10 kilobits per second per user.

The average price of broadband in South Asia is less than 2 percent of the per capita gross national income (GNI), the affordability benchmark set by the UN Broadband Commission. The exception is Nepal where the cost is closer to 8 percent of GNI (and data are not available for Afghanistan). However, beyond these average figures, the picture is much less sanguine. For example, reportedly the bottom 60 percent of the population in Sri Lanka cannot afford broadband, even though in this country the average broadband price is one of the lowest in the world (World Bank, forthcoming).

Device availability. The type of digital device affects the quality of the digital service as well as its use for different purposes. The limited data on devices available for countries in South Asia reveal the deep gaps limiting the uptake of digital services. In Sri Lanka, about 52 percent of households with children under 18 did not have access to smartphones, tablets, or computers in 2018.

Data from household surveys is relatively sparse regarding access to mobile phones, the internet, and devices. According to the National Sample Survey of 2017–18, only 24 percent of households in India had access to the internet, and rural availability was just 15 percent, compared with 42 percent of households in urban areas. A recent cross-country household survey of selected countries in South Asia and Africa uncovered deep gaps (LIRNEAsia 2019). Access to desktop or laptop computers is less than 10 percent in the five South Asian countries surveyed (figure 3.1, panel a). The gender gap in mobile phone ownership is the highest in India, followed by Bangladesh and Pakistan (panel b). In fact, the report indicates that gender gaps in South Asia are higher than in the Sub-Saharan African countries surveyed. Similar gaps by income level (panel c) are especially pronounced in Pakistan. Internet awareness is usually less than 50 percent, except in Sri Lanka, and usage is below 20 percent, except in Nepal and Sri Lanka, where one-third of the population reports regular usage (panel d). The low usage rates may reflect multiple factors, including limited device availability at the household level, lack of digital skills, scarcity of local language content, and limited adoption of digital services that familiarize users with the internet.

Local content. The proportion of content hosted overseas and accessed by users in South Asia is not known. This content must cross expensive, and at times unstable, international links, which affects the use of these resources. India is likely an exception because of its more advanced digital infrastructure, including its in-country data centers.

Moreover, the availability of locally relevant content in local languages is an extremely important issue. Although most South Asian countries use vernacular languages in analog form for government services, including health and education, the availability of local