A new report from GSMA Intelligence, produced in collaboration with Huawei, finds 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. It warns that artificial intelligence could widen the digital divide unless policymakers, telecom operators, and technology vendors treat AI literacy as critical infrastructure.
According to the research, 38% of the world's population lives within mobile broadband coverage but remains offline due to a lack of digital skills, user trust, and AI literacy. Physical mobile broadband coverage now reaches 96% of people globally, yet the usage gap persists. Closing this capability 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 existing industry projections.
The report suggests AI can act as both a bridge and a barrier. AI-powered voice assistants and applications that process images, audio, and video can help low-literacy users bypass text input. However, AI also raises the security and critical-thinking standards required to participate safely. Users must now understand data privacy and identify risks such as fraud and deepfakes. The study cites World Bank statistics showing that GenAI literacy commands the highest wage premium—up to 36%—far exceeding returns for both digital and traditional AI skills.
Without targeted interventions in basic digital training, the authors warn, rapid AI adoption risks entrenching existing inequalities even in areas with full network coverage. The report emphasizes community-based delivery models, citing Huawei's Skills on Wheels initiative as a field-tested example. Its solar-powered DigiTruck mobile classrooms bring hardware, rural 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 Digital Economy shows that 79% of DigiTruck trainees surveyed passed on their newly acquired digital skills to family members and peers.
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: https://www.gsmaintelligence.com/research/bridging-the-divide-enhancing-digital-literacy-in-the-ai-era.
