Original: 2020年落后国家实现互联网普遍接入

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It can be difficult to live in the 21st century without using the internet, a smartphone or other digital device. A new report shows that electronic banking, internet marketing and other online activities are no longer just for people in rich countries.

21世纪，人们的生活几乎无法脱离互联网、智能手机以及其他数字设备的使用。最新报告显示，诸如电子银行、网络市场营销这样的线上活动已不再是发达国家的专利。

The report comes from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the United Nations. It notes that hundreds of millions of people in the world's poorest countries are now using the internet and mobile technology.

该报道来自国际电信联盟机构（ITU）出自联合国下属机构——国际电信联盟(ITU)。其强调了该报告指出在世界上最贫穷国家中，有亿万人正在使用现开始使用互联网和移动技术。

The ITU said that all 47 of the world's least developed countries are making progress in increasing Internet access to their citizens. And more than 60 percent of the people there are able to use a 3G network.

据ITU称，世界上最不发达的47个国家在为其居民提供网络的接触上做出了惊人的进步提升公民接入互联网领域取得飞速进展，其中超过60%的当地人已能使用3G网络。

The term 3G means the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunication technology. The report said that by the end of 2017, about 700 million people in the least developed countries had signed up for a plan with a mobile phone service provider.

3G指的是第三代无线移动通信技术。该报告显示，截至2017末，这些最不发达国家大约有7亿人报名参加了手机服务提供的计划与手机移动服务商签订了上网合约。

In those areas, 80 percent of the population lives within range of a mobile cellular network. Given this progress, the ITU praised the growth of digital technology.

在这些地区中，80%的人口生活在移动蜂窝网络覆盖的范围内。ITU对于这些地区在科技上取得如此大的进步表示赞扬考虑到这一进展,ITU对数字技术的发展给予了高度评价。

It said the world's least developed countries are on their way to meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goal on universal and affordable Internet access by 2020. Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell is with the ITU.

该机构表示，这些最不发达国家正在向联合国的整体可持续发展目标靠拢，并准备在2020年前普遍实现互联网接入力争”在2020年前实现联合国可持续发展和价格合理的互联网接入“目标。Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell就职于国际电信联盟。

She told VOA that digital connectivity can provide valuable knowledge and information to populations around the world. It gives farmers access to information on crops, when to plant their crops, weather patterns that are happening.

她向VOA表明，数字连接可以让整个世界的人都接触到宝贵有价值的知识和信息。它能为农民提供农作物的信息、适宜耕种的时间和气候等。

It provides access to online education to communities. . . It can make micro- and small- and medium-sized enterprises be able to compete with larger businesses. The ITU said universal and low-cost internet access can help the poorest countries move forward in fields like education, health and trade.

还能为公众提供在线教育，也为微型、中小型企业提供了与大公司竞争的机会。ITU表示，这种全球性普遍和低成本的互联网接入能为贫穷国家在教育、健康卫生和贸易水平方面都取得提升。

While the findings sound hopeful, the report identified the lack of digital skills as a barrier to information communication technology and Internet use in poor areas. The ITU called on policy makers, industry leaders and educators to work together to increase digital skills across the least developed countries.

当种种迹象听起来都使人充满希望时虽然该发现听起来振奋人心，该报道也说明，信息通信技术和互联网的使用在贫穷地区仍然还存在许多障碍缺乏数字技能是贫困地区使用信息通信技术和互联网的障碍。ITU呼吁决策者、产业领导者和学者决策计划者、行业领袖及教育工作者能共同努力，促进最不发达国家的数字科技。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

© VOA English