Joy Agwunobi
Achieving universal, meaningful Internet connectivity by 2030 could demand an investment of between $2.6 trillion and $2.8 trillion at today’s prices, according to a new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for digital technologies, in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST).
The report, Connecting Humanity Action Blueprint, sets out the financial, infrastructural, and policy requirements to ensure that every person worldwide can access and use the Internet. It highlights both the scale of investment required and the stark disparities that continue to define the global digital landscape, particularly the one-third of humanity that remains offline.
Infrastructure at the core of costs
According to the study, the single largest component of the investment — between $1.5 trillion and $1.7 trillion — must go into building hard digital infrastructure. This includes expanding broadband coverage to underserved regions through fibre networks in cities, 4G fixed wireless in rural areas, and satellite technology for the most remote communities.
Beyond infrastructure, the report estimates that nearly USD 983 billion is required to improve affordability of devices and broadband services, ensuring that individuals and households in low-income regions can maintain digital access. Another USD 152 billion is earmarked for digital skills training, enabling people to use the Internet productively for education, jobs, and services. A comparatively modest USD 600 million is needed to modernize policy and regulatory environments, though the report emphasizes that such reforms could have a disproportionately large impact on unlocking innovation and investment.
The connectivity challenge
Despite progress in recent years, ITU data shows that 2.6 billion people remain disconnected. Internet usage is closely tied to socio-economic development, with 93 per cent of people in high-income countries connected in 2024 compared with only 27 per cent in low-income nations. The gap, ITU warns, risks entrenching inequalities if urgent and coordinated action is not taken.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General, underscored the importance of viewing connectivity as an investment in human potential rather than a financial burden.
“Digital connectivity means creating opportunities for education, jobs, and access to essential services that can transform lives and communities. While significant resources are needed to meaningfully connect everyone, these are investments that will contribute to a prosperous digital future for all,” she said.
The Connecting Humanity Action Blueprint builds on ITU’s original 2020 Connecting Humanity study, launched under Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency. That initial report projected much lower costs. The updated assessment puts the investment needs at nearly five times higher than earlier estimates, reflecting both the growing scale of the challenge and the rising costs of digital inclusion.
Haytham AlOhali, Acting Governor of CST, noted that the steep increase highlights the urgency of a global response.
“The world needs between USD 2.6 trillion and USD 2.8 trillion to connect humanity by 2030. This figure is nearly five times higher than the last assessment conducted in 2020… Such a dramatic increase underscores the urgency for international cooperation, collective investment, and the sharing of expertise if we are to achieve the vision of universal, meaningful connectivity for all,” he said.
The report stresses that connectivity progress has been uneven, with the world’s 46 least-developed countries lagging furthest behind due to persistent financing gaps, unreliable infrastructure, and limited technical know-how. Without decisive action, the digital divide risks widening further, particularly as new technologies such as artificial intelligence become central to economic and social development.
To close existing divides and prevent new ones, the ITU blueprint calls for fresh business models, innovative financing, and stronger partnerships among governments, the private sector, development finance institutions, and civil society. Among its recommendations are leveraging schools as digital access hubs, scaling up energy investments in Africa to power connectivity, and improving sub-national data collection to better target interventions.
In outlining these steps, the ITU makes clear that universal Internet access is no longer simply a development aspiration but a prerequisite for inclusive growth and resilience in the digital era.
