Covid-19 Policy Brief: Internet Access and Affordability

The policy brief outlines guidance for providing universal access to an online world that is safe and empowering for everyone.

In this global health crisis, the web is both a lifeline and a critical force in helping to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Without public health information at our fingertips, many would be dangerously under-informed about the scale and severity of the situation. Without the option to work and learn from home, our economies would take a still greater hit and children’s education would suffer even more. And without the ability to connect virtually as we’re being asked to keep a distance from others, the virus would spread faster and further.

Almost half the world’s population doesn’t have internet access.  To be without connectivity in normal times is a grave disadvantage. In the crisis we’re facing, it’s devastating. Our recommendations (PDF) are designed to get meaningful connectivity to as many people as quickly as possible — without losing sight of the longer term goal to reach universal internet access.