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IGF opening highlights digital inclusion gap: 2.6 billion still offline, goal of universal connectivity by 2030
Summary
ITU, UNESCO and other speakers at IGF 2025 stressed that meaningful and affordable internet access remains out of reach for billions; speakers urged capacity building, funding and technical standards to close the divide.
Speakers representing the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNESCO, national leaders and technical bodies used the Internet Governance Forum opening to underscore the persistent digital divide and to press for concrete steps toward universal connectivity.
Doreen Bogdan‑Martin, Secretary‑General of the ITU (speaking by video from Geneva), said two‑thirds of the world was connected but "2,600,000,000 people are still completely offline," and called for urgent action to expand…
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