"Despite remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, the number of new infections remains unacceptably high, epidemics continue to grow in certain communities, and therefore AIDS continues to be one of the deadliest pandemics of our times. This study analyzes the rate of new HIV infections over al
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most 30 years in low- and middle-income countries. Previous research identifies two critical ways to address HIV prevention in developing countries: educating women and using mobile phones to improve health literacy and access to virtual healthcare. Our study bridges these literatures by evaluating how women's education and mobile technology work together to support the goals of HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Using two-way panel fixed effects regression models of HIV incidence across 76 developing countries, we find that both increasing access to women's education and increasing access to mobile phones are associated with fewer HIV infections over time. Furthermore, we discover that women's education moderates the relationship between mobile phones and HIV. More specifically, mobile phones seem to be more beneficial for HIV prevention in cases where rates of formal schooling are low. However, at higher levels of women's education, the impact of mobile phones on new HIV infections is substantially reduced. Our findings have important policy implications for Information and Communications for Development (ICT4D) programs." (Abstract)
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"The Mali Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) report presents the findings and recommendations of the Mali DECA. It outlines the key aspects of Mali’s digital ecosystem and provides 11 recommendations for creating a more inclusive, safe, and enabling environment. Guided by 3 USAID/Mali pri
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orities, which include i) improved governance for stronger democratic institution; ii) solidified and deepened development gains in targeted areas; and iii) improved outcomes across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus to save lives and increase resiliency, the DECA process included desk research, consultations with USAID/Mali technical offices, and 63 key informant interviews with stakeholders from civil society, academia, and the private and public sectors. Key findings include: Mali has made great strides in building out its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, but political instability and conflict hinder further investment; the Government of Mali’s commitment to digital development is aspirational, but existing services, policies, and governance are at an early stage; Mali does not have a central policy or regulation guiding the digitization of government services and systems; Mali’s civil society and media have enjoyed historical freedom of expression, but new policies threaten the freedom of the press and increase organizations’ needs for cybersecurity awareness and tools; insurgent groups are accelerating their use of social media for propaganda dissemination and Mali’s broader population needs better tools to counter disinformation; Mali does not have a policy framework for guiding the development of the e-commerce sector; Mali’s tech startup scene lacks true innovation or competition and operates informally in an unfavorable environment." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"The study's primary objectives were to assess the state of data on access to digital devices and connectivity in schools in Thailand, which are crucial enablers for e-learning initiatives, and to map the state of access to and use of these devices and connectivity so as to identify potential gaps.
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As digital connectivity becomes paramount to the education sector, it is vital for the Government (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Digital Economy and Science, NBTC) to connect unconnected schools and communities, and to ensure that students have equitable access to devices, learning content and opportunities. Other specific recommendations in this regard are set out below: a) Improve the quality and availability of data on the status of school connectivity [...]; b) Set guidelines for the Internet and devices in schools [...]; c) Improve digital device-to-student ratios in schools [...] d) Enhance connectivity information to include the community [...] e) Increase the availability of information on traffic and bandwidth use from schools [...] f) Improve the affordability of Internet connectivity for students [...] g) Assess the impact of e-learning on education outcomes [...]" (Recommendations, pages 47-48)
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"The mobile industry has been instrumental in extending connectivity to people around the world. In 2021, the number of mobile internet subscribers reached 4.2 billion people globally. Operators’ investments in network infrastructure over the last decade have helped to shrink the coverage gap for
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mobile broadband networks from a third of the global population to just 6%. But although the industry continues to invest in innovative solutions and partnerships to extend connectivity to still underserved and far-flung communities, the adoption of mobile internet services has not kept pace with the expansion of network coverage. This has resulted in a significant usage gap. In 2021, the usage gap stood at 3.2 billion people, or 41% of the global population. The reasons for the usage gap are multifaceted and vary by region, but they generally relate to a lack of affordability, relevance, knowledge and skills, in addition to safety and security concerns. Furthermore, the barriers to mobile internet adoption are particularly acute among certain segments of the population, including women, the elderly, those in rural areas and persons with disabilities – or a combination thereof." (Executive summary)
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"This report shares findings on the access and use of mobile technology among South Sudanese refugees and the communities that host them in three areas of White Nile, Sudan. White Nile is a state in southern Sudan sharing a border and refugee crossing points with South Sudan. It is home to nearly 70
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0,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 280,000 refugees from South Sudan are currently hosted in White Nile and represent more than a third of all refugees living in Sudan, as well as roughly 100,000 returnees who arrived from South Sudan when it seceded in 2011. Most refugees live in one of nine official refugee camps. Additionally, there are nearly 400,000 people experiencing acute food insecurity [...] Our research indicates that access to mobile phones is high in both communities, with 91 per cent of respondents reporting that their household owns at least one handset. Personal ownership is also high, with 81 per cent of refugees and 62 per cent of host community members reporting that they own their own mobile phone. This figure obscures some important discrepancies, however. For example, refugees are more likely to own an internet-enabled handset than host community members, and women, persons with disabilities and older people are less likely to have access to mobile phones." (Executive summary, page 2)
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"El análisis de la información disponible sobre ocho indicadores de concentración en Internet en Uruguay muestra que en casi todas ellas unas pocas empresas tienen una posición dominante en el mercado o servicio relevado." (Conclusiones, página 16)
"The digital divide is not a problem the market alone will solve. We need to do things differently. Globally there is a growing movement of community connectivity providers — including community networks, municipal networks, cooperatives, and social enterprises — connecting underserved communiti
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es, often at faster speeds and lower prices than incumbent providers. These are the networks we need to promote, support, and invest in. Yet, almost all of them struggle to access capital. This is a nascent movement and the financial tools and capital stacks have not yet matured to meet the needs of these networks and the communities they serve. We now need to cultivate the financial infrastructure that will allow community connectivity providers to grow and scale. This report is designed to provide a foundation of understanding about what these providers look like, their various ownership and operating models, and how they can be financed sustainably. It is a practical tool for those who want to build networks and for funders and investors. The report’s 10 case studies show where and how community connectivity providers are already getting the job done and demonstrate how underserved communities can build their own internet infrastructure and take control of their digital futures. We hope this report will help more communities to achieve digital equity, catalyze more funding for community connectivity providers, and accelerate access to the internet and digital tools so that everyone can fully participate in our digitalizing world." (Foreword)
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"As the world welcomes its 8 billionth inhabitant, an estimated 5.3 billion people – roughly 66 per cent of the global population – are using the Internet. Yet some 2.7 billion people worldwide remain totally offline, with universal connectivity still a distant prospect in least developed countr
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ies and landlocked developing countries, where, on average, only 36 per cent of the population is online. Young people remain the driving force of connectivity globally, with 75 per cent of the 15- to 24-year-old age group now online, compared with 65 per cent for the rest of the world’s population. And while data show slow but steady growth in fixed-broadband subscriptions, mobile continues to dominate as the platform of choice for online access, particularly in low-income countries where wireline connections can be scarce and costly, notably for those living outside of major urban centres. In poorly connected countries, two of the biggest barriers to digital uptake remain cost and digital skills. While affordability of entry-level fixed- and mobile-broadband services improved in 2022, the global gap remains far too wide. For an average consumer in a typical low-income economy, the cheapest mobile broadband basket still costs more than 9 per cent of his or her income – over six times the global average. Fixed-broadband service costs over 30 per cent, compared with less than 2 per cent in the world’s high-income countries." (Foreword)
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"This submission focuses on Brazil's fulfilment of human rights obligations in the digital context and seeks to strengthen recommendations focused on guaranteeing universal access to the internet in order to enable free expression and association; access to information, knowledge and culture; and th
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e exercise of economic and social rights in a manner that is secure, respectful of privacy and autonomy, and free of any kind of discrimination." (Introduction, page 3)
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"This report details the urban-rural connectivity gap in nine low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and what that means for their potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals [...] Across all nine countries [Colombia, India, Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, South Af
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rica], roughly only one in ten people have meaningful connectivity. In urban areas, this increases to one in seven. In rural areas, the ratio drops to one of every twenty. This disparity becomes even worse in the two LDC countries in our study: in Mozambique and Rwanda, fewer than one in every fifty people in rural areas have meaningful connectivity. This should alarm policymakers because as a share of the world’s rural population, one in four lives within an LDC country: as part of the world’s online population, only one of every twenty users connects from an LDC country." (Executive summary, page 3)
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"O capítulo 1, “Reconhecimento e representação: sobre vozes, epistemicídio e resistências”, investiga e discute as formas, contextos e a constituição sóciohistórica, econômica e cultural da sociedade brasileira contemporânea e de seus grupos estigmatizados e precarizados, enfatizando
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o papel da posse, acesso, uso e apropriações diferenciadas das TIC. Na mesma direção, o capítulo 3, “A nova geração de telefonia móvel 5G já nasce com data de validade”, antecipase e se concentra na crítica dos modos como a inovação tecnológica digital, como conduzida no Brasil, vêm carrear novas formas de exclusão, opressão e sofrimento social. A partir da perspectiva original de Rheingold (1994) sobre as comunidades virtuais, em certa medida ingênua, pois que baseada em partilhas cordiais entre os indivíduos, outros pensadores vêm agregando elementos adicionais, mais críticos e problematizadores, capazes de contemplar conflitos e desigualdades de poder na luta e na militância política no ciberespaço e na cibercultura. Para contribuir com essa discussão, o capítulo 2, “Dimensões interseccionais da vulnerabilidade digital no Brasil”, introduz e expande a compreensão do fenômeno e dos conceitos associados às vulnerabilidades digitais, apontando para a necessidade da construção crítica de uma educação midiática focada na superação das condições da exclusão digital e na construção de cidadãos autônomos – e na (re)construção de suas vozes sociais, sua expressão e suas justas reivindicações materiais e simbólicas, na participação democrática. O tema é retomado de forma aprofundada no capítulo 4, “Educação midiática para a vida online: descolonização, diferença e alteridade”, que sinaliza a necessidade e a urgência de políticas, ações, iniciativas e medidas da educação popular no âmbito do aprendizado das, pelas e para as mídias digitais." (Apresentação, página 7-8)
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"Entre os achados do trabalho quantiqualitativo que partiu de um universo de 229 participantes: lideranças e militantes da cidade, do campo, das florestas e das águas das diferentes regiões brasileiras. Destaca-se que 47% do público entrevistado tem dificuldade no uso da internet; pessoas negras
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e pardas usam mais celulares; 59,1% das associações contatadas não têm área de informática. As constantes mudanças no mundo digital têm consequências direta nas práticas cotidianas de uso social e apropriação das tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC). Essas mudanças alteram drasticamente as formas de representação de interesses, seja na área econômica, política, social, cultural, religiosa, sindical/ associativa e tecnológica, além de Influenciar o processo de construção das agendas, a tomada de decisão política, a formação de lideranças e também as políticas públicas. Por exemplo: cerca de 83% da população do Brasil tem acesso à internet no Brasil, no entanto, desse total, 58% das pessoas têm acesso apenas pelo celular. As desigualdades ficam ainda mais em evidência quando analisamos a situação de negros, periféricos, quilombolas, LGBTQIA+, mulheres e idosos. Por isso, a pesquisa é uma ferramenta para elaborar políticas públicas mais inclusivas." (https://institutolula.org/instituto-lanca-livro-sobre-transformacao-digital-nesta-terca)
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"Nepal’s digital ecosystem does not yet meet the needs of all Nepalis and runs the risk of falling further behind. Over the past decade, mobile phones, and mobile internet have become increasingly widespread in Nepal; however, the government’s capacity to implement digital policies and solutions
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has not kept pace with Nepalis’ embrace of the internet. In the coming years, equitable access for all Nepalis, establishment of internet connectivity in remote areas, and safe internet use practices for the digitalization of Nepal’s economy are just some of the key challenges that the country will face." (Executive summary)
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"The Zambia Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment report outlines the key aspects of the country's digital ecosystem and provides recommendations for the international development community to create a more inclusive, safe, and enabling environment to achieve development outcomes." (https://www.usaid
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.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: 1. Peru’s digital ecosystem is one of many contrasts. There have been sustained advances over the last 30 years in connectivity, digital literacy, digital rights, digital government, and the digital economy; 2. Challenges in digital policy implementation and coordination cap
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acity slow efforts to remedy digital divides and secure important digital safeguards; 3. The dense Amazon and the Andes mountains challenge the success of traditional models for rural connectivity; 4. Improving digital literacy for all Peruvians is a central element of the government’s strategy for inclusive digital transformation; 5. Regulations in the digital space are at odds with the protection of basic digital rights, such as freedom of expression online; 6. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) struggle to carve out a role to influence the digital ecosystem; 7. Peru’s enabling environment for digital financial inclusion in terms of policy and regulation is positive, but challenges remain in terms of product offerings and customer uptake; 8. International and regional players dominate Peru’s growing e-commerce landscape. Technology startups are hitting their stride, but continue to face a multitude of challenges. Technology remains out of reach for the country’s large base of informal micro-, small, and medium enterprises." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: Moldova is home to a competitive telecommunications market, affordable internet, and well developed internet infrastructure, much of which has been achieved over the last 10 years; cybersecurity implementation and capacity have not kept pace with policy development. The govern
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ment introduced regulatory and policy measures on cybersecurity in an effort to harmonize with EU protocols. However, implementation requires support due in part to a fragmented cybersecurity ecosystem, a shallow cybersecurity talent pool, and gaps in government technical capacity; digital literacy is a clear policy priority and Moldova is on par with its regional counterparts when it comes to the public’s general digital skill levels; Moldova’s digital government systems and services are advanced with more than 200 public services partially or fully digitalized; Moldova has a relatively open environment in terms of internet freedom but gaps persist with regard to key legislation on data protection, access to information, and the protection of children and youth from digital harms; The ICT sector is experiencing exponential growth, but it is afflicted by an undersupply of technically skilled talent and a shortage of promising technology startups; while the National Bank of Moldova does not have a dedicated financial inclusion unit or a strategy to improve outcomes, e-commerce is at the forefront of the government’s agenda." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: Connectivity infrastructure is fairly well developed in coastal urban areas but lags behind in Libya’s sparsely populated southern region; COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital tools and services across sectors; however, Libyans are reluctant to adopt new tools du
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e to unfamiliarity with specific platforms, lack of trust, lack of digital literacy, or when they feel these tools and services are unnecessary; Many Libyan internet users are “Facebook literate,” but are less familiar with more advanced digital tools such as online payments; Libya’s decade-long conflict and instability have limited the House of Representatives' ability to clarify roles, and responsibilities, and to pass new legislation. Laws from the previous regime are still technically in force; The government is prioritizing digitalization; however, there are significant barriers to execution. These are tied to inadequate digital infrastructure, a piecemeal approach rather than an overall strategy, and insufficient legal and regulatory frameworks; Libyan government institutions have uneven cybersecurity capabilities and there is no information publicly available on cybersecurity strategies, data privacy laws or authority, or effective cyber crisis management; Civil society organizations and journalists have limited capacity to respond to cyber attacks and online harassment, often leading to self-censorship." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"The Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) Regional Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) report presents the findings and recommendations of the DECA, covering 11 ESC countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenad
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ines, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad & Tobago. The report outlines the key aspects of the region’s digital ecosystem and provides 10 recommendations for the international development community to create a more inclusive, safe, and enabling environment to achieve development outcomes in these small island nations. Guided by two USAID/ESC priorities, i) improving government accountability and transparency; and ii) strengthening community resilience, the DECA process consisted of desk research, consultations with USAID/ESC technical offices, and 63 key informant interviews with stakeholders across the region from civil society, academia, and the private and public sectors." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings: Overcoming the digital divides between men and women and urban and rural populations requires long-term planning and resource commitments that include broad stakeholder engagement and coordination [...] The public’s appetite for online content is growing, but accessible, diverse, hi
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gh-quality educational and professional content in local languages is sorely lacking [...] High, unmet demand for digital and IT talent and a weak digital startup ecosystem are critical bottlenecks to growing Uzbekistan’s domestic IT sector and driving digital transformation across the economy [...] The COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the Government’s commitment to digital transformation of the health sector." (Executive summary, page 12)
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"The purpose of this guide is to share the basics of installing a solar-powered HF radio station. For some years now, Rhizomatica has been working to “modernize” HF technology, allowing the transmission and reception of digital information. HF technology offers many advantages for autonomous com
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munication in remote areas, and from our experience, it is possible and feasible to train people without much previous technical experience in the installation and use of solar-powered HF communication systems. This guide is an attempt to share the learnings from on-the-ground experiences and interactions with communities, and to facilitate and support further training processes for the use and installation of HF-based communication networks. The guide is aimed primarily at facilitators of training processes in HF radio and as reference material for people who have at least some prior knowledge of HF radio. In other words, it is not aimed at novices or people who are completely new to the subject." (Introduction)
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