Electronic devices are connected to the Internet. (PHOTO: VCG)

Edited by QI Liming

China's fixed broadband service cost, as a share of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita, further decreased from 0.5 percent in 2021 to 0.45 percent in 2022, ranking second lowest in the world after Liechtenstein in terms of fixed broadband affordability. In terms of mobile broadband costs, China is also well below the global average.

In 2022, ICT services became more affordable globally, resuming a downward trend that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The global median prices of all four mobile baskets measured as a percentage of gross national income (GNI)  per capita reached historical lows in 2022.

This edition reveals that, taken overall, using the Internet became more affordable globally in 2022. This is an encouraging result, but much work remains to make connectivity affordable for all. Connectivity has become a necessity, but for many it remains a luxury. High costs prevent millions from using the Internet or using it to its full potential.

Major affordability gaps across and within countries perpetuate the digital divide. In countries with large income disparities, connectivity can be prohibitively expensive for the poorest segment of the population even if it is affordable for the average earner.

The affordability of ICT services 2022, https://www.itu.int/zh/Pages/default.aspx, 04-2023