According to a study, people in lower-income countries work 3 times as much because of slower internet speeds.

According to a recent study by the cybersecurity company Surfshark, based in the Netherlands, people in lower-income countries work three times as hard as those in higher-income countries because their internet speeds are three times slower.

 

The study suggests that, the situation is so bad in many of these low-income countries that even video calls are impossible.

 

According to the study, which is based on the yearly Digital Wellbeing Index (DQL 2022), Africa ‘experiences the widest internet gap,’ with only 55% of the population having access to the internet, compared to 85% in Oceania.

 

Ethiopia and Mali are the countries in Africa with the highest internet connection costs.

 

The study continues, ‘Internet inequality is dragging people from lower-income countries on a downward spiral of economic misery since it’s combining with today’s inflation rates and political concerns.’

 

‘People from lower-income countries have access to more digital opportunities than those who cannot use the internet. People are unable to study, work, or expand their economy through digital exports without internet connectivity,’ stated Surfshark’s lead researcher Agneska Sablovskaja.