An economical means of bridging the digital divide – OneWeb White Paper
Some of the most compelling reasons for the satellite and broader aerial connectivity push are clear: the size and persistence of the digital divide, and connectivity barriers for businesses operating in rural or remote areas. It can be easy to forget that on a global scale, mobile internet penetration is only 50%. This means around 3.7 billion people (or 3 billion adults) remain offline, most of whom reside in India, China, Africa and a handful of populous lower-income Asian countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia. OneWeb estimate 25% of this unconnected population – approximately 780 million people – live outside of range of a 3G or 4G signal.
The OneWeb White Paper lays out the case for how the digital divide can be bridged.