COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world to its core. Asia-Pacific leaders are simultaneously struggling to save lives and livelihoods. Working from home, online pedagogy and telemedicine are the new normal. This has exposed the region’s urban-rural digital fault line and fragility of its digital networks.

The COVID-19 crisis has thrown into sharp focus the importance of digital connectivity in daily life. As many countries underwent lockdown periods, digital infrastructure was critical to mitigate the impact of stay-at-home restrictions.

A picture-based insurance (PBI) product that assesses crop damage using mobile phone photos uploaded by farmers was implemented in Haryana due to its importance in cereal production, high smartphone ownership and homogenous production patterns, providing an ideal setting for a proof of concept.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, putting immense pressure on healthcare systems and economies around the world, connectivity needs have changed abruptly. The response to COVID-19 has significantly affected connectivity trends, mobile technology use cases and the outlook for 5G deployment and adoption.

Digital connectivity has increased rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. While the global digital divide is still large, the gap with the rest of the world is narrowing fast. Internet penetration in the region has increased tenfold since the early 2000s, compared with a threefold increase in the rest of the world.

Internet is being currently accessed mainly through mobile wireless technologies, which at present cover more than 95% of the population of the country.

The rapid spread of digital technologies is transforming many economic and social activities. While creating many new opportunities, widening digital divides threaten to leave developing countries, and especially least developed countries, further behind.