#ENDUTIH2024: Progress and pending issues in connectivity

The results of the 2024 National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) conducted by INEGI show continued progress in access to connectivity in Mexico, but also reveal persistent gaps in access and use that demand priority attention.

By 2024, the number of internet users reached 100.2 million, representing an adoption rate among 83.1% of the population aged six and older and an annual growth rate of 3.3%.

Growth has been sustained across all demographic segments, but the increase in rural areas (68.5%, +2.5 pp compared to 2023) stands out, as well as among older adults (42.1% among people aged 65 or older).

These advances are encouraging, but they also highlight the urgency of continuing to close the territorial and age gaps, especially given that in urban areas, adoption stands at 86.9%. This comes on the eve of #InternetDay and World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Greater connectivity in homes, despite structural gaps. At the household level, 28.8 million have internet access, 73.6% of the total, or 1.3 times the 2015 figure. This indicator confirms the importance of connectivity in the home environment.

However, marked inequality in computer access persists, with only 43.9% of households having one, virtually the same level as five years ago.

This gap in computing device ownership is particularly worrying in a context where connectivity alone does not guarantee digital inclusion. Adequate conditions are required for learning, working, and fully interacting with digital tools.

Smart TVs on the rise, and mobile as a key link. Another of the most notable findings of ENDUTIH 2024 is the growth in the availability of smart TVs as a means of connecting to the internet, reaching 43.6% among internet users, practically double the level of five years ago. This trend reveals the role of smart TVs not only as entertainment platforms, but also as tools for accessing digital services and educational content.

However, the smartphone remains the primary gateway to connectivity, used by 97.2% of connected people. This indicates an increasingly mobile digitalization, which brings new opportunities but also challenges in terms of cybersecurity, digital ergonomics, and technological literacy.

What do we use the internet for? The ENDUTIH also reveals connectivity usage habits.

The main activities include instant messaging (93.0%), accessing social networks (90.4%), and entertainment (89.0%). In contrast, more advanced uses such as online banking (30.3%), interacting with the government (33.0%), or purchasing products or services (35.8%) have yet to achieve widespread adoption, particularly in rural areas where the gap exceeds 10 percentage points compared to urban areas.

Digital divide: reasons and the way forward. The survey also highlights why 10.3 million households still lack connectivity: lack of financial resources (55.3%), lack of interest/need (24.9%) or digital skills (9.4%), and lack of infrastructure (4.8%).

These barriers are not new, but their persistence indicates that efforts must focus on addressing these challenges to fully close the digital divide.

A comprehensive national digital inclusion strategy is urgently needed, combining a boost to infrastructure (fiber optics, satellite, community networks), targeted subsidies for vulnerable households, and digital literacy programs, especially for older adults and rural areas.

ENDUTIH 2024 reveals a country that is increasingly digitalized, but also polarized in its access to and capabilities for leveraging connectivity. It's time for Mexico not only to fulfill the constitutional promise of universal internet access, but also to ensure that it is meaningful, useful, and transformative for all.