For nearly three decades, discussions about the digital divide focused on access to the internet. Governments, regulators, and development institutions invested heavily in expanding broadband networks and improving mobile coverage. This effort delivered significant progress across many parts of the world, including Namibia. Today, more people than ever before have access to mobile broadband, fibre networks, and digital services. However, a new question is emerging: is connectivity alone enough to ensure meaningful participation in the digital economy?
The next digital divide is not simply about who is connected and who is disconnected, but about who possesses the capability to use technology productively and who does not. Two individuals with identical internet connections can have vastly different abilities to benefit from technology. One may use the internet primarily for communication and entertainment, while the other uses it to access cloud-based tools, develop software applications, and create digital products for international markets. This principle applies to businesses, schools, and even nations.
A company may have high-speed connectivity but lack the expertise required to digitise operations or implement artificial intelligence solutions. A school may enjoy internet access but have limited devices, insufficiently trained educators, or inadequate digital learning content. A country may have respectable broadband coverage but lack the technical workforce, computing resources, and research capabilities required to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy. These differences highlight a critical reality: connectivity provides access to the digital world, but capability determines what can be achieved within it.
The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made this distinction even more visible. AI depends not only on connectivity but also on access to computing resources, cloud platforms, quality data, technical expertise, and a workforce capable of applying these technologies effectively. Without these supporting capabilities, access to advanced technology may produce only limited benefits. The digital economy increasingly rewards those who can create, innovate, and adapt technology rather than merely consume it.
This shift requires a broader understanding of digital development. Traditional measures such as broadband penetration and network coverage remain important, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. Policymakers and institutions must also examine how effectively people and organisations use digital infrastructure to generate economic and social value. The conversation must therefore evolve from connectivity to capability.
In Namibia, challenges relating to affordability, quality of service, devices, and digital literacy remain important areas of focus. Expanding reliable, affordable, and meaningful connectivity must continue. However, investments in infrastructure must increasingly be accompanied by investments in people, knowledge, and institutional capacity. As digital technologies become more sophisticated, the true measure of digital inclusion will not simply be whether citizens can connect to the internet.
The emerging digital divide is about possessing the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to transform access into opportunity. Countries that recognise this shift early will be better positioned to compete, innovate, and create sustainable economic growth in the digital age. According to Pascal Haingura, the executive of engineering and technical services at the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), the focus must shift from connectivity to capability to ensure meaningful participation in the digital economy.
Key points
- The next digital divide is about who possesses the capability to use technology productively and who does not.
- The digital economy rewards those who can create, innovate, and adapt technology rather than merely consume it.
- Investments in infrastructure must be accompanied by investments in people, knowledge, and institutional capacity.
