Report shows big slowdown in global growth of internet access

A report from The Web Foundation, which was founded by internet pioneer Sir Tim Berners-Lee, shows a stark decline in the worldwide growth of internet access.

Around the world, an estimated 3.8 billion people don't have internet access, the report shows. The so-called 'digital divide' is still here, and it's worse than ever for people in isolated locations, poor people, and women.

In poor urban areas, men can outnumber women on the internet as much as two to one.

The internet revolution remains a distant dream for billions of people on Planet Earth in 2018. And most of all, for women.

The Guardian got an exclusive look at the data before publication. From their report:

The striking trend, described in an unpublished report shared with the Guardian, shows the rate at which the world is getting online has fallen sharply since 2015, with women and the rural poor substantially excluded from education, business and other opportunities the internet can provide.

The slowdown is described in an analysis of UN data that will be published next month by the Web Foundation, an organisation set up by the inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. The data shows that growth in global internet access dropped from 19% in 2007 to less than 6% last year.

We underestimated the slowdown and the growth rate is now really worrying , said Dhanaraj Thakur, research director at the Web Foundation. The problem with having some people online and others not is that you increase the existing inequalities.