#Digital access for newcomers to the internet

#Improving the lives of underserved and marginalized communities globally

If you’re used to carrying around the internet in your pocket, it may be hard to imagine life without a smartphone. 

But around 4 billion people in the world don’t have access to the internet. 

And while many of those without digital access live in developing economies, it doesn’t follow so simply that those with digital access are from developed economies, and those without aren’t. People who live without access to the internet exist in every society, and it took the pandemic back in 2020 to bring to light the digital divide between the digital haves and have nots across the globe. In Singapore for instance, the initial years with Covid-19 brought into public awareness the situation of school children from households with no or limited digital access, who struggled when lessons had to go online.  

And from that place, SpudnikLab was born. We’re a modest outfit doing modest work to help bridge the digital divide across the globe, one individual at a time. 

In 2021, we developed the first app review platform for the KaiOS operating system running on feature phones. These old school keypad phones from yesteryear brands like Nokia and Sony Ericsson are now equipped with cameras and internet- and Bluetooth-enabled. These KaiOS-run keypad phones, which go from about USD20, are used by people in various countries who can’t afford even entry level smartphones. Often, this keypad device is their only form of access to the internet. We created KOBI, the first ever app review platform specifically for apps running on the KaiOS operating system, to help these new or less experienced users of the internet be better able to make choices about which apps are worth downloading and spending precious data on using. Besides reviewing games apps, we bring a special focus to apps for education, personal development, health and financial literacy.   

To help those who are less digitally literate in Singapore, in 2023 we developed D.lit, a deck of large A6-sized cards designed for senior users and those less familiar with navigating smartphones and important smartphone apps. Participants use the D.lit cards to guide them through a pathway of skills acquisition from basic to advanced, such as how to connect to wifi and enable Bluetooth, how to install and use Whatsapp, how to book transport using Grab, and how to make purchases online, such as groceries. Participants can even have a go at selling (or buying) items on Carousell as one of the advanced level skills! All this happens in small groups in a venue conducive to learning, guided by trained D.lit facilitators. For anyone interested in conducting D.lit sessions please drop us a line at impact@spudniklab.com. 

This year, we are working on another product designed to develop scientific literacy, especially for those from communities who are disadvantaged, across the globe.  Watch this space for more updates!