How to connect 1 billion people, and other lessons from the EDISON Alliance's internet access mission

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in internet usage, with 466 million people coming online for the first time. Yet this milestone hides a long-standing paradox: While internet infrastructure has steadily expanded, usage lags far behind. Despite over 96% of the global population being covered by mobile broadband, roughly 2.6 billion people – about one-third of the global population – remain offline, with disparities most acute in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), home to 95% of the unconnected.

In 2021, the EDISON Alliance was launched to accelerate digital inclusion, uniting public and private leaders to tackle long-standing barriers: access, affordability and usability. The initiative highlighted connectivity’s transformative power in critical sectors like healthcare, education and finance, aiming to create lasting impact.

Its mission was threefold: foster collaboration, establish continuous feedback loops between stakeholders, and amplify impactful initiatives. By channelling resources into measurable policies and interventions, the Alliance sought to bridge digital gaps across diverse communities. Four years and 1 billion people connected to essential digital services later, the EDISON Alliance reflects on its journey – celebrating successes, extracting lessons, and envisioning its future role in advancing digital inclusion.

Implementing digital inclusion initiatives on the ground is no easy task: It requires navigating complex challenges, adapting to local contexts, and turning ambitious ideas into tangible impact. These lessons from the EDISON Alliance community highlight what it takes to overcome barriers, foster trust and create meaningful, lasting change in communities around the globe. You can find more in-depth case studies here.

Digital Promise: Community-rooted engagement and scalable, cost-effective solutions ensure sustainability in digital learning, especially in resource-constrained environments

BBVA Microfinance Foundation: Improving financial inclusion require time, patience and building of long-term client relationships.

Fraser Health: Iterative improvements and interconnected digital tools enhance healthcare, empowering patients while addressing diverse cultural and linguistic needs.

Global66: Transparency, reliability and feedback loops drive adoption, ensuring user-centric and robust digital financial solutions.

Lippo: Investing in IT infrastructure, piloting systems and offering accessible support ensures inclusive, reliable digital healthcare platforms.

Telefonica: Renewable energy, infrastructure sharing and government collaboration enable sustainable connectivity in remote areas.

HP: Cross-sector partnerships that tackle access, literacy and quality content foster inclusive progress in the digital economy.

AstraZeneca: Comprehensive care integration complements technology, building health systems for lasting impact.

NEC: Combining digital and physical solutions to guarantee seamless service delivery in areas with limited digital infrastructure.

Capgemini: Leveraging globally recognized frameworks and tools ensures consistent tracking, transparency and accountability.

Tecnológico de Monterrey: Early engagement with local leaders, transparent communication and immediate impact fosters trust and drives participation in community digital labs.

DANA: Customized training and financial literacy programmes, paired with mentorship, help women-led businesses overcome cultural barriers and thrive.

Four years into EDISON’s journey, with 1 billion lives touched, we reflect on the lessons that brought us here and the insights that will shape what comes next. As we chart the future, the reflections of the EDISON Alliance Board offer a powerful roadmap; key takeaways that will guide us in amplifying impact and driving transformative change in the years ahead.

Partnerships: Facilitating collaboration is key to transforming vision into action and scaling innovative solutions needed to drive and accelerate tangible impact.

“Partnerships have been pivotal in accelerating digital inclusion, providing the opportunity to leverage mutual expertise, resources and learnings, and advancing the Edison Alliance to its next stage. The Alliance has shown how collaboration can harness technology to ensure no one is left behind. Through on-the-ground efforts, we remain committed to advancing universal health care and the SDGs.

“Apollo Hospitals' Digital Dispensaries, in partnership with a global telecom provider, deliver affordable healthcare to 250,000 individuals across 200 rural villages in Madhya Pradesh, India. With 60% of beneficiaries being women, the initiative has improved access, affordability and gender equity in healthcare – a model ready for scaling.

“We cannot lose sight of the challenges ahead. One-third of the global population remains offline, and bridging this gap requires $450 billion to $2 trillion. Platforms like the Edison Alliance are vital for uniting governments, businesses, academia and civil society to address these disparities and expand equitable digital access.

“Building on past successes, the next phase of the Alliance offers an opportunity to amplify solutions, expand outreach and ensure digital transformation reaches underserved communities worldwide. Collective efforts and innovation will foster inclusive, sustainable development, leaving no one behind.”

— Shobana Kamineni, Promoter Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd; Executive Chairperson, Apollo Health Co Ltd

Scale: Amplifying evidence-based content that showcases best practices in scaling impactful inclusive solutions can empower policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders.

“In 2024, the EDISON Alliance achieved a remarkable milestone, fulfilling its bold pledge to connect 1 billion lives to digital services in healthcare, education and finance – a year ahead of schedule. Central to this success has been the Alliance’s focus on facilitating learning and sharing best practices between policy-makers and key stakeholders.

“As the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports dozens of countries globally on their digital transformation journeys, we’ve observed that many nations share common challenges, including siloed information and limited knowledge-sharing within and between countries.

“In response, the Digital Inclusion Navigator was developed to create a much-needed space for policy-makers, business leaders, development practitioners, researchers and students to share insights and best practices on digital inclusion. Additionally, the EDISON Alliance Lighthouse Countries Network was launched to ‘crowd in’ new partnerships and unlock investments for digital inclusion, ensuring the effective adoption of these best practices.

“By harnessing the collective expertise of governments, global telecom companies, academia and non-profit organizations, the EDISON Alliance is coding a future where seamless knowledge exchange and innovation open new opportunities for people across the world.”

— Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Ambition: Universal internet access demands bold government action to foster a more inclusive digital economy.

“The internet is a valuable resource that unlocks opportunities and services in an increasingly digitized global economy, making access essential for everyone, regardless of background. While progress has been made, a third of the global population remains offline due to accessibility, affordability and utility challenges.

“Every country faces unique challenges in achieving universal internet access. Governments must lead efforts to close the digital divide by prioritizing policies and investments that expand broadband infrastructure, particularly for remote and underserved communities, and equipping individuals with the right digital skills through targeted education and training to bridge the digital literacy gap.

“Significant efforts are also needed to expand the affordability and utility of digital enablers such as devices and services. Collaboration with private and non-profit actors are critical to unlock device ownership and scale availability of relevant content. Non-state actors can bring sustainable funding models and technological innovations to help governments close the internet usage gap.

“Through these actions, governments can address the digital divide, fostering a more inclusive, connected world where everyone benefits from the global digital economy.”

— Paula Ingabire, Minister for ICT and Innovation, Government of Rwanda

Despite remarkable progress in expanding digital access, the task is far from complete. With a third of the global population still offline, the immediate priority remains connecting those without access. At the same time, the rise of transformative technologies like AI, blockchain, and the internet of things introduces a new frontier – one that risks deepening divides if inclusivity is not at its core.

The challenge now is twofold: to close the existing digital gap, while ensuring the tools of the future are accessible to all. Success will depend on thoughtful strategies that balance immediate needs with long-term equity in an increasingly connected world.

“EDISON Alliance partners have helped 1 billion people access the digital economy, but much work remains to build an inclusive digital economy that benefits everyone.

“Small businesses and microentrepreneurs, comprising 90% of global businesses, are the heart of thriving economies. They create jobs, draw investment and generate opportunity. Today, a digital presence is no longer a nicety, it’s a necessity. Digital access can be the difference between a business struggling to survive and success for an entire community.

“We’ve seen this in action: women in India selling traditional crafts online to global customers, cooperative farmers in Uganda using digital tools to sell their crops directly to buyers, increasing profits, microbusiness owners in Brazil receiving digital loans for the first time. It’s life-changing.

“Sustainable growth requires inclusivity. When it comes to small businesses, expanding digital access is fundamental to our future. Meeting the needs of MSMEs, scaling solutions and building an inclusive digital future will require collaboration across governments, business and civil society.”

— Michael Miebach, Chief Executive Officer, Mastercard

“To improve 1 billion lives, Alliance members executed 320 projects across nearly 130 countries. We learned that scalable community-based solutions are essential, and Lighthouse Countries can serve as beacons for others. Accessibility, affordability and usability of network services remain key hurdles to bringing people the services they need. Addressing these challenges requires ongoing care as we continue developing new technologies and services to push society forward.

“I am proud that the EDISON Alliance achieved its 1 Billion Lives Challenge goal over a year ahead of schedule. We improved over a billion lives connecting people to digital services in education, healthcare and finance. Those who benefitted will help friends, families and communities get online, too. But significant challenges remain: 2.6 billion people are offline, more than 2 billion lack adequate healthcare, 1.4 billion are unbanked, and 250 million children have no access to education. The emergence of artificial intelligence, dependent on networks for computational power and user reach, presents another where we risk leaving people behind.”

— Hans Vestberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon; Chair, EDISON Alliance

“As we think about the technology required to successfully scale AI and Generative AI, there are three integral pieces to consider: broadband internet connection and device procurement, computing power and AI education.

“Expanding access to these components will take a whole-of-society approach and will require the cooperation of the private, public and non-profit sectors. Communities that have been left behind for so long need resources like capital, technical equipment and expertise, and it is incumbent upon those with these resources to ensure that access to them is intentionally and equitably distributed.

“We have an opportunity to create and improve critical systems in communities that have and continue to lack access to high-speed broadband, computing power, the requisite energy sources to power AI data centres and technical education. The most important part of ensuring they can benefit from these digital innovations is building the necessary infrastructure that underpins these technologies.”

— Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Vista Equity Partners