Smartphones Are Bridging The Digital Gap For Marginalized Communities

In this week’s Tech Tuesday post, we want to bring attention to the digital divide that the COVID-19 crisis exposed across the globe. As the world took a hiatus from in-person interactions and relied heavily on digital in many areas, from education to healthcare to retail, those in rural, low-income communities were impacted the most due to the lack of access to affordable internet access. The FCC reports that 97% of Americans in urban areas have access to a high-speed, fixed service. In rural areas, that number falls to 65% and on tribal lands to 60%.  When looking at global numbers, the human right to internet access is even more challenging. According to an International Telecommunication Union report, in the developed world the internet penetration rate is 87% but sits at just 47% in developing countries. 

This was especially impactful in rural parts of India during the second wave of the pandemic, which struck in April and May of 2021. Tracking down medical services and access to vaccines for those affected by the Coronavirus in these areas proved to be a challenge. While India is a remarkably diverse country, a 2018 Harvard University Study illuminated that the phone ownership gap between the male and female population in rural and remote areas still exists and creates economic barriers. 

During the second wave, tech-savvy users were able to hop on to social media and find information on where hospital beds, oxygen tanks and vaccines were available. Unfortunately, this did not prove to be true for those with lack of internet access. Despite an aggressive rollout of vaccines and averaging close to two million doses being administered per day, reports show that it could take more than two years to fully vaccinate three quarters of the country.  

But knights in shining armor like Mann Deshi Foundation whose mission is to empower women to improve their digital literacy, have helped communities to keep their businesses going, connect with family members during lockdown, and attend virtual check-ups through the donation of smart phones. These phones have proven to be a lifeline when it comes to arranging prescription deliveries, consultations with medical professional and having access to information regarding vaccines. 

Foundations like Mann Deshi are not the only ones stepping up and answering the call for help. SEEDSn  an organization that es relief work, is going door-to-door in Delhi and remote villages of north and west India to register residents via the government's vaccination portal. In addition they are transporting them to free inoculation centers.  

Tech-based solutions have signaled a cultural revolution and highlighted the need for fast tracking digitalization across populations. The role of technology is paramount to overcoming COVID-19 and has the power to bridge the digital gap in marginalized communities, ensuring that no one gets left behind.