The urgent need to close the digital divide in the COVID-19 era

Approval Solutions Covid

The world is on the verge of fighting this pandemic and we are focusing on improving lives and livelihoods across different sectors and people in different walks of life. We are all striving to find a solution for a better future.

In education, the pandemic has taught us the lesson that the internet is a BASIC need for all humans on the planet – we are now focused on conferencing for meetings and visual class and internet /web teaching for all students. Online classes will be the future, as movement is limited.

In health, the pandemic has opened the eyes of the developed and developing countries to the fact that health is key to our wellbeing, and we need to introduce online research, online medical personnel to help people in distant areas, and use the internet to deliver vital information.

During the pandemic, technology has been used for local and international financial transactions. In Uganda, for example, we use mobile money transfers for payments between one individual and the other, to buy internet data and air time, to pay utility bills such as water and power, and to buy food, garage and transport services, medical services, fuel and rent. We pay from our living rooms – the future is paperless, and secure transactions are made with phones and credit cards.

The global economy has been overcome by the unexpected pandemic. Technology for on line transactions and merchandising is the future, but ordering on line calls for transparency, honesty and security for people to trust its use. Infrastructure development is needed in developing countries to increase the use of railway lines, reduce the number of trucks entering and exiting the country and thus reduce the spread of the virus.

We urge the internet service providers, telecom companies and the ITU to make it easy for remote societies to have access to the internet and new technology to enable them ease their way of living and connect to the rest of the world. The internet is the future.

We will overcome this pandemic as long as we observe the doctors’ directives and science. KEEP SAFE, STAY HOME – GOD BLESS AND PROTECT PLANET EARTH.

About the Author

Approval Solutions

Share this