Publication: Internet Access and Use in Latin America and the Caribbean: From the LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys 2021
Date
2022-09
ISSN
Published
2022-09
Author(s)
World Bank
United Nations Development Programme
Abstract
While most households in Latin
America and the Caribbean use mobile broadband via
smartphones, expensive fees and poor service quality pose
major obstacles for potential users. In addition, power
outages are a challenge for nearly 40 percent of existing
mobile broadband users. Addressing the region’s need for
faster, cheaper, and more reliable internet connections is
thus a policy and investment priority. There are persistent
and significant gaps in digital infrastructure between
countries in the region, as well as weighty rural-urban gaps
within some countries. Bridging these digital divides will
be key to inclusive digital transformation. Households with
tertiary education are on average more connected (with
better quality service and higher expenditures on data)
compared to the rest of the population. As education level
is correlated with income, digital inequalities mirror and
may amplify existing social inequalities – underscoring the
critical need to address them. Over two-thirds of connected
households in the region are concerned about privacy and
security when using the internet. However, households on
average across Latin America and the Caribbean still
reported increasing their use of the internet amid the
pandemic, suggesting that neither issue poses a barrier to
their internet use at present.
Citation
“World Bank; United Nations Development Programme. 2022. Internet Access and Use in Latin America and the Caribbean: From the LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys 2021. LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys;. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38000 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”