Breaking the Cost Barrier

Access to affordable smartphones remains one of the top reported barriers to closing the usage gap in low- and middle-income countries and requires a multi-stakeholder approach to address it. Today, 3.1 billion people are being left out of the digital world despite living in areas covered by mobile broadband. Two thirds of these people do not yet own a mobile phone. While progress has been made to lower the cost of devices and shape device financing strategies, persistent roadblocks prevent these initiatives from scaling. This session asks whether the affordability challenge can finally be overcome and what it will take to ensure the benefits of broadband connectivity reach all segments of the population.