GSMA and ITU Leaders Urge Action to Overcome Barriers to Digital Inclusion

Image: Illustrative image · Bastiaan Quast · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

At MWC26 Doha, GSMA and ITU chiefs highlighted rising smartphone component costs and security concerns as key challenges to connectivity, calling for alliances and inclusive strategies to close the digital divide.

At the Mobile World Congress 2026 held in Doha, Qatar, top executives from the GSMA and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) emphasized the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address persistent barriers to digital inclusion. The global telecom industry's aspiration to offer smartphones priced under $50 has faced significant setbacks this year due to rising component costs, notably memory price surges driven by artificial intelligence demand.

Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, disclosed that earlier in the decade, sub-$50 smartphones were attainable, but increased RAM prices—doubling and then rising another 40% over the last year—have made such pricing unfeasible. He suggested alternative approaches to enhance affordability, including reducing taxes on entry-level smartphones, promoting circular economy initiatives to recirculate devices, and advancing financial tools to assist first-time smartphone users.

Complementing this, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, called for coordinated action within the technology ecosystem to ensure that emerging technology developments do not exacerbate the digital divide. Beyond affordability, she highlighted the challenge of mobile coverage without service usage, noting high data costs in certain countries as a barrier.

Both leaders pointed to issues of security and trust as deterrents to internet adoption. Bogdan-Martin cited a study across 31 countries revealing that over 60% of girls have experienced online harassment, while Badrinath underscored growing fraud and scams increasing perceived risks associated with smartphone ownership. They advocated for a unified dialogue among regulators, telecom operators, and social media platforms to protect citizens effectively.

Furthermore, improving digital literacy, especially around artificial intelligence, was identified as vital. Both stressed that education programs must be inclusive to avoid creating new inequalities.

This joint session alongside the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference also highlighted the close synchronization of industry priorities and regulatory frameworks to accelerate progress toward universal connectivity and digital inclusion. The full discussion is publicly accessible for those seeking deeper insights.

This dialogue reflects ongoing challenges in making connectivity universally accessible and trusted, emphasizing that addressing cost, security, education, and collaboration remains central to closing the global digital divide.