Bridging the digital divide in Turkey through inclusive business

Two elderly Turkish people use computers as part of their internet literacy training. Photograph: Türk Telekom

Türk Telekom is bringing ICT to people across all areas of Turkey, using unique products and services to drive sustainable economic and social growth

The world’s most important problem – according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – is unequal income distribution. As in many countries, economic inequality is leaving a large segment of Turkey’s population behind with regard to information access and digital communication. This “digital divide” inhibits low-income communities’ participation in modern society.

In response to the ambitious SDGs, new business models have proven that including low-income communities in the business planning process increases benefits for both companies and the communities involved. This approach also provides businesses with opportunities to reach potential customers and tap into new markets.

In 2013, Türk Telekom became the first Turkish company to join the Business Call to Action (BCtA), which encourages companies to develop inclusive business models that offer potential for both commercial success and development impact. Supported by several international organisations and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the BCtA is a global initiative supporting private-sector efforts to fight poverty through companies’ core businesses.

Following its BCtA membership, Türk Telekom re-evaluated its corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects through the lens of inclusive business. Being a member of the BCtA made it clear to the company’s management that integrating CSR projects into the company’s core business would provide greater sustainability in the long run for both Türk Telekom and its customers. As a result, the company began training its business development and marketing teams to consider low-income communities in the design of its products and services.

In three years of membership, Türk Telekom’s CSR projects have changed from philanthropic initiatives to a more comprehensive, inclusive business strategy. In line with this approach, the company has focused on providing ICT accessibility for all.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute’s 2015 Information Society Statistics, total internet use in Turkey is 56%. 44% of people between the ages of 16 and 74 have never used the internet, and 45% have never used a computer. Among internet users, there is a significant gender discrepancy: 66% are male.

Sensing an opportunity, Türk Telekom developed a project to turn those disconnected from the digital world into internet users. The Life is Simple with Internet project targeted people aged 35 and over within 50 of Turkey’s most underdeveloped cities, specifically focusing on women. The project raised awareness about basic internet use, internet security, online banking, social networks, blogs, internet communication tools, online shopping, e-government and other online services. As the project progressed, the target audience was diversified to include prisoners on probation, civic associations and people with hearing impairments.

Launched initially in 20 cities, the project quickly expanded into the 50 target cities and the number of volunteer trainers increased from 123 to 247. The great interest shown by local people is inspiring further expansion, bringing the project to more than 80 cities within Turkey. In less than two years since its launch, the project has brought more than 15,000 people countrywide into the online world. Türk Telekom’s goal is to reach 30,000 people by the end of 2017.

The project has been studied as an example of inclusive business by students at Koç University and has been featured in the Harvard Business Review. Social impact research shows that 86% of participants have begun to use the internet in their daily lives: 65% of them use e-government services, 58% now enjoy online chat applications and 56% follow news websites and social media.

In these cities, people used to say that the internet is harmful, decreases communication within the family, is inappropriate for children, ends marriages and is unsafe. But since the project began, many have changed their minds. According to a rating scale of attitudes towards technology, concerns that the internet is unsafe decreased by 20 percentage points and the proportion of women who were frightened by the internet dropped from 41% to 29%. The concerns about the internet’s effects on weakening family bonds decreased from 79% to 55%.

Social impact research also indicates that 10% fewer people believe that the internet is not worth the money. People who found the internet too expensive before the project, now understand that the gains are worth the price.

The project successfully demonstrated the many benefits of internet connectivity for people in Turkey’s underdeveloped areas, as well as the potential for Türk Telekom’s further growth across the country.

Content on this page is provided by Business Call to Action, and originally appeared on the The Guardian Business and the Sustainable Development Goals Hub