Is The Coronavirus Lockdown Helping Latin America’s Digital Divide?

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 17, 2020: The Internet has become critical given the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Latin America that has forced many to stay indoors and work and study from home. In Latin America, about two-thirds of people have internet access, according to Shamika Sirimanne, head of technology at the U.N.’s trade and development body (UNCTAD).

Yet the online sector is booming as an increasing number of people are signing up for bonus casino Syndicate.

This phenomenon may be related to the many restrictions on outdoor activities especially some sectors coordinated by syndicate.

This even though the “digital divide” – the gap between those who have access to computers and the Internet, and those with limited or no access – is well documented between rural and urban areas.

But there is no doubt the novel coronavirus pandemic has also exacerbated digital inequality among urban dwellers that goes beyond education.

In El Salvador, photos of a university student climbing a tree to get an internet connection so that he could follow online classes went viral on social media in April, prompting President Nayib Bukele to take to Twitter to offer him free Internet.

But that Sirimanne figure masks a vast imbalance between and within countries – ranging from Nicaragua, where 25% of people have internet access, to 80% in Chile. Most governments in Latin America already have development plans in place to expand digital infrastructure and get more people connected.

In recent decades, tackling the digital divide has largely focused on bringing the internet to rural areas and Wi-Fi tablets into schools, along with free internet in public spaces.

Urban experts now hope the pandemic will prompt governments to address the digital divide in poor city neighborhoods.

They say one key challenge city officials face in getting more people online is bringing down the cost of internet access for the poor, especially in the Caribbean.

Half of the world remains unconnected, and only two out of 10 people in the least developed countries are online, according to the International Telecommunication Union, the U.N.’s internet and telecoms agency.

Still, experts agree that while COVID-19 has affected many sectors in Latin America, the outbreak has influenced positive lines in the online sectors, especially online gambling such as Mr.Bet online casino slots and that may not be changing any time soon.