Bridging the global digital divide: A platform to advance digital development in low- and middle-income countries

The Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings Institution published a paper under the title Bridging the global digital divide: A platform to advance digital development in low- and middle-income countries which introduces an initiative to bridge the digital divide in low- and middle-income countries. The initiative is designed to help the US alongside different stakeholders to address the digital divide between countries and people through buttressing inclusive economic development in low- and middle-income countries. It further supports these countries to promote their economic and strategic interests. The paper outlines the scope of the digital divide within the sustainable development goals (SDGs) where the lack of 5G broadband cellular networks could hinder countries from leveraging the benefits of the digital revolution and hence be left behind. Additionally, the paper criticises the solutions offered by donors to address this issue for being one-off disconnected fashionable approaches. It also underscores the absence of a comprehensive, partnership approach, without which all the well-intended efforts will not aggregate to the scale and speed required by the challenge.