Urban-rural connectivity gap widens in OECD countries

Over the course of the recent past, huge global demand has existed for broadband technologies that help “future-proof” networks such as fibre and 5G mobile networks, but research from global policy forum the OECD in 61 of its member countries has found that while connectivity is seen as the backbone of an inclusive digital transformation and progress has been made on ensuring everyone is well connected, the situation remains unequal, requiring concerted policy action.

The report, Closing broadband connectivity divides for all, used data from a variety of sources including GSMA Intelligence, Ookla and Opensignal, along with data from 38 OECD member countries and 23 selected partner economies.

The results fundamentally showed persistent and substantial territorial gaps to high-quality broadband across and within countries from 2019 and 2024. OECD members on average had more than twice the level of fixed broadband penetration – 36.3 subscribers per 100 inhabitants – than the world average (excluding OECD members) of 16.2 per 100 in June 2024 (OECD and ITU).

In OECD member countries, people living in metropolitan regions experienced median fixed broadband download speeds that were 43.8% higher than speeds for people living in regions far from metropolitan areas at the end of 2024.

In addition, with regards to mobile broadband with a slightly different territorial classification, Opensignal revealed that people living in cities experienced overall mobile broadband download speeds 37.2% higher than in rural areas. The OECD average in cities at the end of 2024 was 74.5 Mbps compared with 54.3 Mbps in rural areas.

The study notes that these trends were similar for other indicators on broadband performance such as upload speeds and network response times (i.e. latency). While median fixed and mobile download speeds increased across all regions between 2019 and 2024 on average across the OECD, the gap between regions with the fastest and slowest speeds widened over this period.

Fixed broadband coverage was found to be not yet ubiquitous in all areas. Around half of OECD member countries with available data (27 countries) had access to fixed broadband services capable of providing at least 30 Mbps download speeds for 95% or more of total households. However, on average across the OECD, only 78.5% of rural households had access to similar service in 2023. And while population coverage of 5G mobile networks across the OECD is high, most users still relied on 4G networks. Across the OECD, 5G mobile networks reached 83.6% of the population in Q4 2024, said GSMA Intelligence, but users spent only 8.8% of their time on 5G networks during the same period (Opensignal).

The report emphasised that in many low- and middle-income countries, people rely heavily on mobile networks for connectivity. In Q4 2024, 4G networks reached at least 95% of the national population among the partner economies included in the report, except in Nigeria, the Solomon Islands and United Republic of Tanzania, where 3G networks were more prevalent (GSMA Intelligence).

Partner economies report similar trends as observed in OECD member countries, but with more accentuated differences in the quality of connectivity of urban compared with rural areas. While the challenges to expand broadband infrastructure are common across jurisdictions, the OECD observed that partner economies outside those included in the report have steeper obstacles to overcome to advance broadband deployment. These include the availability and reliability of electricity grids, as well as transport infrastructure such as roads or motorways.

The OECD also suggested there may be significant demand-side challenges, such as income and skills constraints that limit full participation in the digital world. These challenges underline the importance of a sound institutional and policy framework.