The Great Equalizer
Sharing my Op/Ed piece in Mexico’s National Daily “El Universal”
https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/luis-duran/el-gran-ecualizador
The Great Equalizer
Mr. Luis Duran*
Horace Mann, the father of public education in the United States, used to say that education was the “great equalizer” in promoting the development and social balance of countries. He argued that rather than being a benefit reserved for privileged elites, education should serve as a force for social cohesion and be available to all people in any country that aspires to give equal opportunities to all its citizens.
Today, after more than a year of this COVID-19 crisis, it is time to ask ourselves if the digital age is at a similar crossroads, with access to technology becoming our main lever of progress in society. There has been much talk in recent decades about how technology has the potential to be a "great equalizer" in the world. However, evidence shows that the gap is widening. According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union, the internet penetration rate in the developed world is 87 per cent, but only 47 per cent in developing countries and 19 per cent in the least developed countries. Many rural and low-income communities around the world, including those in large urban areas, lack reliable Internet access. These people will be further denied access to the benefits of technology as more devices and systems emerge that rely on internet connectivity.
The good news is that we are on time to make adjustments so that this trend does not become a hopeless downward spiral. The pandemic demonstrated what can be done in connectivity when the need is extreme. In 2020, the world embraced digital transformation at an accelerated pace, reinventing the fundamental role of technology in the way we work, learn and live. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the fundamental problem when billions of people still lack what is increasingly one of the most important human rights: effective access to the Internet. To do this, an open and modern 5G internet access infrastructure, jointly built by the telecommunications industries and the government can help bridge this digital divide.
The problem is clear and the solutions are within our reach. We must work together to ensure that the digital age delivers on its promise. The time for transformative change is now. In our country, it is essential to develop a plan to close this gap with a sense of urgency. By investing in emerging technologies such as 5G wireless communications technology, our government and the private sector can come together to address inequalities in our communities and create meaningful and ongoing change to ensure that all citizens have access to the technology they need for work and education.
* CEO of Strategy Primus and President of the COPARMEX Communication Committee, @LuisEDuran2