It wasn't long ago that internet connectivity faded the moment one left a populated area like a city or big town -- "no service" was the take-away message back then. But thanks to 3G, 4G and now 5G mobile technology, coupled with the widespread installation of cellular towers in rural areas region-wide, that little message shows up much less frequently.
Most importantly, the rapid spread of internet connectivity and mobile telephony, reaching into the most remote rural communities, has resulted in countless opportunities to address chronic problems such as poverty, malnutrition and inequality.
From farmers to fishers to herders, digital technologies are increasingly relied upon to help transform and enhance the livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people each day. From a smartphone in the hands of someone checking optimal conditions to sow a field, or band together to rent a drone for aerial assessments, to a herder checking the weather, to fishermen finding the best places to cast their nets, digital technologies are increasingly accessible, useful and affordable for those in rural areas.
