Give Hong Kong’s poor high-speed internet to help bridge the digital divide

Lack of access to computers and internet connectivity is leaving poor children and adults struggling in school and at work, the latest data show
A bold plan offering high-speed internet and computer access for all underprivileged families is needed, especially now as society struggles to recover from Covid-19

Gary Lai

Published: 6:00am, 10 Jun 2020

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Helping the poor in Hong Kong involves more than handing out masks. With 31.9 per cent of Hongkongers suffering from a range of chronic illnesses, for example, it makes Covid-19 a particularly nasty ailment to deal with. This pandemic poses challenges that require creative solutions, and not just in public health.

Internet inequality is a case in point. Stuck at home, the poor are constrained by their lack of computers and high-speed internet. The government’s Thematic Household Survey on personal computers and internet penetration, published in March, shows a large gap between the poor and the better-off.

While 96.5 per cent of Hongkongers making HK$50,000 (US$6,500) or more per month have an internet-connected computer at home, only 65.5 per cent of those making HK$10,000 to HK$20,000 do – and just 33.8 per cent of those making less than HK$10,000.

Most access to computing by the poor is through a mobile phone, which has a 91.5 per cent penetration rate. However, a palm-sized device is inadequate for most basic computing tasks at work, such as word processing, spreadsheets and database entry.

Districts of Hong Kong with high percentages of people earning less than HK$4,000 (US$520) per month. Source: Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report, 2017

Even before Covid-19 struck, internet inequality manifests itself in a learning divide that is well-documented among schoolchildren who are falling behind their peers in education. Schools equalise the socioeconomic playing field by providing students with libraries, computing facilities, face-to-face counselling from school staff, social opportunities with other children and time away from problems at home. Equal access to these resources gives poor children a path to middle-class jobs and higher earnings.

But the pandemic has exacerbated the problem. While it is hard enough for well-equipped students to replicate the school environment at home with notebook computers, video conferencing and multimedia websites, the scholastic experience for the poor is much more limited without them.

Adults from low-income households, who now have fewer opportunities to socialise and network outside their homes, are likewise disadvantaged. As unemployment rises, poor people with work cannot congregate with others to learn new skills or attend workshops to enhance employability. This includes a large number of Hongkongers spanning a variety of industries and job functions.

Poor in Hong Kong: the struggle to survive in one of the world’s richest cities

In a 2019 government survey, 20.4 per cent of respondents said they had undertaken job training in the past year because their employers requested it or on their own initiative. About 19 per cent of those from the construction industry were sent by their companies. The main reasons for taking these classes included meeting current job requirements and staying competitive in the labour market.

Those without work or the technologies available to the better-off cannot stay productive at home during the pandemic. According to the same survey, the main considerations of the unemployed willing to work are flexible working hours (63.6 per cent of respondents), reasonable salary (38.9 per cent), proximity to home (37.3 per cent) and comfort and safety (28.2 per cent). Working from home can be a solution for many, but poor households’ lack of computers and internet connection keep them from such jobs.

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Experts suggest Covid-19 will be around and hamper Hongkongers’ way of life for some time. Meanwhile, the government should think beyond the usual remedies of cash payouts and macroeconomic stimuli.

The poor are hampered by a lack of income, education and professional networks. These can be lessened by a universal high-speed internet and computer plan for all families making less than HK$20,000 per month. This would make Hong Kong’s economic recovery much quicker when it comes. It also complements the city’s goal of becoming a technologically-advanced, Greater Bay Area-integrated smart city by ensuring inclusive computer ownership.

To assist this, policies should be implemented to encourage greater medical coverage from employers for stay-at-home workers. This would help the poor afford hospital care in future pandemics and other economic shocks.

Gary Lai is a Hong Kong-based economist

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