These days, it is not enough to know whether an individual has been online or offline in the past 30 days, but rather, whether they enjoy meaningful connectivity to the Internet. With Ana Maria Rodriguez and Yacine Khelladi, both from the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), we discuss, among other things: the ‘Meaningful Connectivity’ targets A4AI has proposed: whether the proposed targets have been set too low or too high; and some of the challenges countries and individuals might experience in trying to achieve those targets.

 

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes, Google Play Music and on Stitcher!

Over the past several months, and due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of ‘meaningful connectivity’ has taken on even more importance, as we all have had to rely more on technology, and more specifically, the Internet. In general parlance, being meaningfully connected tends to speak to the extent to which people have access Internet connectivity to the degree that allows them to use it as needed in their lives.

In late 2019, the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) which is an initiative of the Web Foundation, proposed a set of target for meaningful connectivity. Prior to those proposed metrics, the only assessment that was done with regard to Internet connectivity was to determine whether or not individuals had been online within a prescribed period. However, such a binary measure – online or offline – gives no information about the quality and/or the potential usefulness of that connectivity.

In summary, the minimum targets A4Ai has proposed comprises the following four metrics, along with minimum targets countries should aim to achieve:

  • How regular the internet is being used                    min. target:  daily use
  • Whether an appropriate device is being used        min. target:  smartphone
  • Whether users have enough data; and                    min. target:  unlimited data
  • How fast is the internet connection                          min. target:  4G-range speed

Since 2020, A4AI has been hosting a series of consultations to discuss the proposed targets, and in June, a session was held for the Caribbean region. This podcast episode is a continuation of that global conversation.

 

Introducing our guests

Ana Maria Rodriguez

A native of Colombia, Ana Maria Rodriguez is a Research Analyst at the Web Foundation and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). Prior to that appointment, she worked as a Management Consultant in Colombia, Sweden and the UK; mainly in the infrastructure, public transport, and ICT sectors.

Ana holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from University College London, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and International Business Administration, from the Montpellier Business School and Universidad del Rosario dual programme.

 

 

Yacine Khelladi

Originally from Algeria, but based in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years, Yacine Khelladi is the Latin America and the Caribbean Coordinator for A4AI. However, he is no stranger to the Caribbean tech community, as he is also the moderator of the Caribbean ICT stakeholders Virtual Community (CIVIC).

Yacine is an Economist, with a particular focus on supporting the use of ICT for human and social development. He is also the Founder of Fundación Taigüey, a non-governmental organisation that engages in grassroots community development, empowerment through the strategic use of ICTs and knowledge networking.

 

 

Overview of our conversation

Whether we fully realise it or not, ‘meaningful connectivity’ is a concept that will become increasingly important in driving telecoms and ICT policy into the future – as the imperative shifts from whether or not people are online, to whether they are in a position to leverage the Internet. In order to leverage the Internet, people will need quality and sustained access, from devices that facilitate creativity.

However, it can be argued that we are in the early stages of changing our mindset – to begin to ask questions, and to put systems in place to assess the quality of the connectivity people are experiencing. To that end, and in the conversation with Ana and Yacine, there was an appreciation that there will be a broad range of challenges that countries will need to address, in order to achieve even the proposed minimum targets. Hence, some of the questions posed during the course of the discussion included the following:

  1. What was the impetus for A4AI conceptualising targets for meaningful connectivity?
  2. Broadly, what are the proposed targets for meaningful connectivity?
  3. Generally, what has been the response to the proposed targets?
  4. With regard to having a smartphone as an ‘appropriate device’, based on the broad range of uses required, is setting a smartphone as the minimum good enough?
  5. Although it is recommended that people have access to unlimited broadband connectivity, mobile broadband predominates across the region is expensive and capped, but fixed-line broadband tend to be uncapped. How might that be reconciled?  
  6. 4G-type speed is being proposed as the minimum connectivity speed, but there are constraints with regard to user devices and even network coverage. Costs will need to be borne on all sides. What are your thoughts?
  7. One of the concerns, with respect to ‘regular use’  is whether there will be meaningful and purposeful use, which may bring in questions as to whether suitable (local) content is available online. What are your thoughts?

 

We would love to hear from you!

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Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits: 3D Animation Production Company (Pixabay); A4AI; A4AI

Music credit: Ray Holman