Covid-19 Policy Brief: Internet Access and Affordability

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.