Internet
The annual digital wellness index, abbreviated as DQL, for 2022 has been released by internet security company Surfshark, and it contains some fascinating statistics.
According to the evaluation, lower-income nations (including the majority of Africa) must labor three times as hard as higher-income nations in order to access internet that is three times slower.
Even video calls are not possible due to the extremely sluggish internet speeds in many of these nations.
Due to this digital disparity, current inflation rates, and political unpredictability, Africans are experiencing a downward economic spiral.
The review also shows that, of all the continents, Africa has the greatest internet gap, with only 55% of the population having access (as opposed to 85% in Oceania).
Even still, individuals who have access face severe disparities in internet speed and cost.
Oceania has the most affordable internet as of 2022, however the difference between these two locations widens every year. As of 2022, internet in Africa is 83% more expensive than in Oceania.
However, why is that so? Agneska Sablovskaja, the lead researcher for Surfshark, asserts that those who cannot access the internet are deprived of the digital benefits enjoyed by those living in wealthier nations.
People are unable to learn, work, or expand their economy through digital exports without internet connectivity.
The researcher continues by pointing out that many African nations also have extremely slow internet. Even if they can afford the internet, their options are still limited. For instance, making video calls might be quite challenging when the internet is running slowly.
Not only that, but individuals from lower-income nations (including the majority of Africa) must labor an additional 11 minutes on average than individuals from higher-income nations in order to buy 1GB of mobile internet that is 49 Mbps slower.
