Mobile internet usage gap: Pakistan ranks among top countries by absolute number

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emerged as one of the countries with the world’s largest mobile internet usage gaps, with around 140 million people living within mobile broadband coverage but not using mobile internet, highlighting affordability, digital skills, and connectivity challenges that could hold back the country’s digital economy. According to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) report ‘State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026’, Pakistan ranks among the top countries globally by the absolute number of people in the mobile internet usage gap. The report places Pakistan’s gap at around 140 million people, alongside Nigeria, while India has the largest gap at 710 million. The GSMA warned that the world risks creating a new global divide between AI “haves” and “have-nots” unless urgent action is taken to address the digital divide and make smartphones affordable for billions of people in low- and middle-income countries. GSMA warns that while artificial intelligence is transforming economies and societies, its benefits will remain out of reach for more than 3. 4 billion people who still do not use mobile internet – despite more than 90% of them already living within mobile broadband coverage. Without affordable smartphones, these people will remain unable to benefit from the AI revolution. The findings suggest that Pakistan’s digital challenge is no longer simply a question of expanding network coverage. A much larger policy challenge is enabling people who already live within the footprint of mobile broadband networks to actually use mobile internet. GSMA identifies literacy and digital skills, affordability and relevance among the key barriers reported in Pakistan, while family-related restrictions also emerge as a country-specific barrier. The report further shows that for Pakistan, the barriers to greater use of mobile internet include connectivity experience, safety and security concerns, and literacy and digital skills, with the pattern differing between urban and rural users. This means that simply investing in faster networks and newer technologies will not automatically translate into broader digital inclusion. Pakistan would need to address the demand-side barriers alongside network expansion, particularly the ability of low-income and less digitally skilled populations to access and use internet-enabled devices. The GSMA says handset affordability, literacy and digital skills remain the leading barriers to mobile internet adoption globally among people who are already aware of mobile internet. Safety and security concerns are another significant deterrent. For Pakistan, the report points towards a policy agenda centred on cheaper smartphones, stronger digital-literacy programmes, better-quality connectivity and safer online access, particularly for underserved communities. The affordability issue is becoming more important as handset prices face upward pressure. Across low- and middle-income countries, an entry-level internet-enabled handset represented 44 percent of average monthly income for the poorest 20 percent at the end of 2025. The GSMA estimates that reducing entry-level device prices to USD 20–30 could make smartphones affordable to an additional 1. 6–2. 2 billion people globally. Pakistan could therefore benefit from policies that promote the availability of low-cost smartphones, encourage local assembly and competition in the handset market, and improve financing options for first-time smartphone buyers. At the same time, digital-literacy initiatives need to move beyond basic awareness and focus on practical skills, including use of digital payments, e-commerce, online government services, education and employment platforms. The GSMA’s findings also underline the importance of improving the actual connectivity experience. For existing users, data affordability and network quality become more significant barriers to greater use, with slow speeds and inconsistent coverage limiting adoption and regular usage. With Pakistan already carrying a 140-million-person mobile internet usage gap, closing this divide could provide a major boost to digital commerce, financial inclusion, education and access to public services. The report’s message for Pakistan is clear: the next phase of digitalisation cannot rely on network expansion alone; the priority must shift towards making mobile internet affordable, usable, relevant and accessible to those who remain offline despite having network coverage. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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