An estimated 2.7 billion people globally remain offline today. Most of these people are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and most of them live within good Internet coverage. However, the cost of a smartphone to access the Internet can exceed 70% of the average income in LMICs, presenting a significant barrier to digital inclusion.
This study, developed under the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, represents the first multi-stakeholder dialogue and analysis on the topic of smartphone access. More concretely, it studies barriers to smartphone ownership and usage, and provides recommendations on how these may be overcome.
Key findings
The research found three high priority interventions that are proven to increase smartphone ownership:
- Smartphone financing schemes
- Reduction of taxes and import duties on smartphones
- Improvement of smartphone distribution channels
We also found two interventions that warrant further investigation:
- Device subsidies
- Increasing use of refurbished/preowned devices
Two interventions studied were classified as low priority, meaning that they lacked evidence of increasing smartphone ownership at scale, but may achieve results at a smaller scale in some countries:
- Local manufacturing
- Supply of smart feature phones
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