A new report from GSMA Intelligence, produced in collaboration with Huawei, has found that digital literacy—not network coverage—is the primary obstacle keeping 3.1 billion people offline. The report, titled "Bridging the Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy in the AI Era," was released at UNESCO's Digital Learning Week and warns that without urgent action, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence could deepen existing inequalities.
According to the research, 38% of the world's population lives within reach of mobile broadband but remains offline due to a lack of digital skills, user trust, and AI literacy. Physical coverage now extends to 96% of people globally, yet the usage gap persists. Closing this gap could add approximately $3.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with more than 90% of those gains flowing to low- and middle-income countries, according to industry projections cited in the report.
AI presents both an opportunity and a risk. Voice assistants and multimodal applications can help low-literacy users bypass text input, but they also raise the bar for security and critical thinking. Users must now understand data privacy and identify threats such as fraud and deepfakes. The report cites World Bank statistics showing that generative AI literacy carries the highest wage premium—up to 36%—far exceeding returns for basic digital or traditional AI skills. Without targeted interventions in basic digital training, the authors warn, AI adoption could entrench inequality even in areas with full network coverage.
The report highlights community-based delivery models as essential, pointing to Huawei's Skills on Wheels initiative as a field-tested example. The program's solar-powered DigiTruck mobile classrooms bring hardware, connectivity, and hands-on training—including AI literacy—to off-grid regions. Since 2019, Skills on Wheels projects have reached more than 130,000 people across 21 countries. A report by Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy found that 79% of DigiTruck trainees surveyed had passed on their new skills to family members and peers, amplifying the impact.
To bridge the usage gap, the report urges policymakers, telecom operators, and technology vendors to focus on four priorities: treating practical AI awareness, online safety, and information verification as a baseline national qualification; adopting multilingual voice and conversational interfaces across public services; scaling up mobile learning units through cross-sector partnerships; and measuring performance by independent task completion and fraud resilience rather than trainee numbers.
"Digital literacy can no longer be defined by static thresholds," said Tim Hatt, head of research and consultancy at GSMA Intelligence. "Connectivity alone is insufficient—capabilities, system design and trust must evolve together. To capture this multi-trillion-dollar opportunity, stakeholders must integrate layered AI literacy directly into daily livelihoods through trusted community channels."
Gavin Allen, Executive Editor-in-Chief at Huawei, added: "Mobile classrooms have demonstrated immense value in helping underserved populations break through physical and psychological barriers to technology. 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."
A new DigiTruck program will launch in France this autumn, covering several cities in the Île-de-France region and targeting low-income and underserved communities with digital skills training. The full report is available on the GSMA Intelligence research portal.
