Digital literacy, not coverage, is the main barrier keeping 3.1- billion people offline, and bridging that use gap could boost global GDP by $3.5-trillion from 2023 to 2030.

A new report produced by GSMA Intelligence in partnership with Huawei highlights that while physical mobile broadband coverage currently reaches 96% of people worldwide, about 38% of people remain offline, with a lack of digital literacy skills one of the key barriers.

As AI potentially widens the digital literacy gap, digital and AI skills are becoming as important as connectivity, with the ‘Bridging the Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy in the AI Era’ report suggesting that, while AI could be a barrier, it could also serve as a bridge for underserved communities.

Industry projections suggest that closing the capability gap could add around $3.5-trillion to global GDP by 2030, with more than 90% of the gains flowing to low- and middle-income countries.

The report urges policymakers, telecommunications companies and technology vendors to treat AI literacy as critical infrastructure.

AI-powered voice assistants and applications that work with images, audio and video can all help low-literacy users bypass the need to input text.

“At the same time, they raise the security and critical-thinking standards required to participate safely. However . . . users must now be able to understand data privacy and identify risks such as fraud and deepfakes,” the study warns.

Without targeted interventions in basic digital training, rapid AI adoption risks entrenching existing inequalities, even in areas with full network coverage.

In South Africa, the challenge is ensuring people have the skills and confidence to use technology meaningfully.

“Digital literacy can no longer be defined by static thresholds. Connectivity alone is insufficient: capabilities, system design and trust must evolve together, said GSMA Intelligence research and consultancy head Tim Hatt.

“To capture this multi-trillion- dollar opportunity, stakeholders must integrate layered AI literacy directly into daily livelihoods through trusted community channels.”

Digital inclusion initiatives typically target those most at risk of digital exclusion, including rural and remote communities, children and teachers in rural schools, older people and women.

Huawei is working with various stakeholders, including governments and academia, to deliver free basic AI skills training to small, medium-sized and microenterprise (SMME) owners, as well as university and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college students.

“To date this year, the programme has reached 1 250 SMME owners and 3 140 university and TVET college students through these initiatives.”

The report further emphasises the need for community-based delivery models, citing Huawei's Skills on Wheels initiative as a field-tested example, particularly its solar-powered DigiTruck mobile classrooms, which bring hardware, rural connectivity and hands-on training, including AI literacy, to off-grid regions.

Since 2019, training courses delivered through Skills on Wheels projects have reached more than 130 000 people across 21 countries, with more people benefiting indirectly.

“Mobile classrooms have demonstrated immense value in helping underserved populations break through physical and psychological barriers to technology,” said Huawei executive editor-in-chief Gavin Allen.

“We will continue working alongside local governments and industry partners to drive digital literacy, ensuring that no one is left behind as we transition into the AI economy.”

The report urges policymakers, telecom operators and technology vendors to work together and focus on four priorities to bridge the use gap.

These include, among others, treating practical AI awareness, online safety and information verification as a baseline national qualification, and adopting multilingual voice and conversational interfaces across public services to minimise user-side technical hurdles.