WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With more than 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and counting, many residents confined to their homes for the foreseeable future are relying on the internet as their link to the outside world.
Gallup surveys in 145 countries and territories in 2019 and early 2020 show more of the world is online than ever, but there is still a digital divide.Since its inception, the internet has exploded in popularity, rapidly becoming a tool for work, education and leisure.
As recently as 2015, half of the world's adults reported having access to the internet in some way, including those connecting through a mobile device.