The Edison Alliance detailed its progress in bridging the digital divide. The digital divide refers to the gap between those who are connected to the internet and have access to digital technologies and those who are not.

95% of the world's population lives in areas with internet coverage, but 2.6 billion people are still not connected to the internet. 63% of the world's population is already an internet user, but in the least developed countries, only 27% of people are connected to the internet. Education, finance and healthcare are three basic services that the Edison Alliance is studying how to use digital technology to provide these services to people in need.

By the end of last year, the Edison Alliance had carried out 320 digital projects in 127 countries, affecting 784 million people. This is a huge progress since the release of the Edison Alliance's 2023 Impact Report, with an impact of more than 70%. The Alliance aims to provide affordable and accessible digital solutions to 1 billion people by 2025.

Education, finance and healthcare are three key areas of focus for the Edison Alliance. In the field of education, the Alliance has affected the lives of 94 million people through digital education and online education. In the financial sector, the Alliance helped 463 million people by promoting access to digital financial and banking services. In the healthcare sector, the Alliance's partners provided health technology solutions and remote care services to 141 million people.

The most important issue that the Edison Alliance addressed last year was promoting people's access to the Internet and digital services. The Alliance helped 486 million people get online, accounting for more than 60% of the total number of people affected. The Alliance helped 196 million people get more affordable Internet devices and/or digital services, including broadband. By improving digital literacy and training digital skills, the Alliance enabled 102 million people to understand how to use digital technology and improve usability.

India, Bangladesh and Vietnam are the three countries most affected by the Edison Alliance, with the largest number of beneficiaries. A total of 78% of the people affected by the Edison Alliance live in South Asia. Another 14% live in Africa. Among the 10 countries most affected by the Edison Alliance, 9 are developing countries.