Kerala is rolling out free broadband for its poorest citizens. What’s stopping your government? | Oommen C Kurian

The pandemic showed us how digital divides worsen inequality - this project shows they're not inevitable

Digital poverty and exclusion hide in plain sight. In an era of hyper-connectivity, millions are left in the shadows, even in the wealthiest countries. Data from the US shows that a quarter of America's rural population, a staggering 14.5 million people, still don't have access to broadband. In a world where billions are connected, the stark reality of this absence looms large, leaving more than 3 billion people on the margins of the digital age. As life moves online, it only exacerbates existing inequalities, limiting access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and essential services.

This takes us to Kerala in south India, home to about 34 million people. There, the communist-led state government is launching something called the Kerala Fibre Optical Network (KFON) - and it's a major milestone. (It is worth noting the irony that the communist government, which has a history of opposing the introduction of computers, is now at the forefront of this digital initiative.) In 2016, the state recognised the internet as a basic citizen's right, joining other polities like Finland, Costa Rica and France. Next on the agenda: making this new right mean something.

Oommen C Kurian leads the health initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, a thinktank based in New Delhi