Five ways companies are closing the global digital divide 

Rapidly advancing technologies are further highlighting the global impact of the digital divide, which is the gap between those with reliable access to high-speed internet services and those without it. 

The United Nations has set the ambitious goal of bridging the global digital divide — caused mostly by outdated tech, insufficient services and cost — within the next decade. The U.N. estimates almost half of the global population is still offline. 

Read more from The Hill’s special coverage on the future of broadband here.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out earlier this year the “deepening inequalities” surrounding services.

“​​The Internet of Things offers great potential for sustainable development — from energy savings to remote medical procedures, from access to education to healthier nutrition,” he said.

“But digital technologies are also outpacing regulations and deepening inequalities,” he added. “A fully interconnected new economy means leaving no one behind — and no one offline.” 

Here are five creative ways companies are trying to bridge the divide.

Digital literacy

Internet company Xfinity offers an “Internet Essentials” program that includes digital literacy learning materials on Wi-Fi, email, the web, social media and other digital concepts, available at no cost to those who qualify for and enroll in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program.

A 2019 report from the Technology Policy Institute looking at the “Internet Essentials” program found that digital skills training boosts people to use it for “learning, job search, and improving job skills.” 

The Capital One Digital Access program offers broadband internet and digital education training — as well as a Chromebook or tablet device — to residents in affordable housing properties the company has helped finance in a handful of U.S. cities. According to a Capital One survey, the number of times per week participants accessed online employment opportunities jumped from 27 to 51 percent after completing the program.

Digital navigators

To account for lags in digital literacy, some groups and companies are focused on upping the quality and availability of technical support. Some communities and groups are also pushing so-called “digital navigators,” or people trained to help support digital inclusion. 

Among the digital navigators are staff at places like…