- The company achieves first place in Europe and America and second place worldwide in the Digital Inclusion Benchmark, which analyses how businesses are promoting a more inclusive digital economy and society
- This is the first international digital inclusion analysis of the top 100 technology and communications companies
- Telefónica is the most highly valued in the responsible use of technology and in guaranteeing people’s privacy and security when accessing digital services
Madrid, 2 December 2020. Telefónica has obtained first place in Europe and America and second place worldwide in the Digital Inclusion Benchmark (DIB), which analyses how companies help to promote a more inclusive digital economy and society. The company has achieved 1.62 points on a scale of 0 to 2, demonstrating that it is one of the companies most committed to ensuring access to technology and digitalization, a powerful enabler of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The DIB is carried out by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), an independent organisation created in 2018 and supported by an alliance of more than 180 organisations to promote sustainability.
This is the first international analysis of digital inclusion and studies how the top 100 companies in the world working in the technology and communications sector are tackling four aspects which are decisive in ensuring that nobody is left behind in the digital revolution: the knowledge and skills to use the technology, the responsible use and security of digital services, innovation and the possibility of accessing communications and Internet services from anywhere. Specifically, it studies 16 indicators on policies, processes, performance and dissemination.
Use of technology and ethical and open innovation
Telefónica has been the most highly valued company worldwide in the responsible use of technology and in guaranteeing people’s privacy and security when accessing digital services. The company has high-level supervision for cyber security, as well as a network of response teams that coordinate against threats. It also demonstrates a strong commitment to child protection.
In addition, the Digital Inclusion Benchmark highlights Telefónica’s efforts in innovation. The company participates in several open source and standards initiatives for telecommunications networks. It also strongly supports the technological innovation ecosystem with a venture capital fund, an accelerator for new companies and support for social entrepreneurs.
In terms of research into sustainable development, Telefónica works with several universities in different countries and its “Big Data for Social Good” unit uses the potential of the data to carry out projects with a social and environmental impact. Another aspect to highlight is that it is one of the few digital companies that has adopted some principles to promote an ethical Artificial Intelligence.
Similarly, Telefónica offers relevant training programmes to improve the population’s digital skills. Through Fundación Telefónica and different commercial initiatives, it offers, for example, assistance to people with little knowledge of new technologies so that they can make use of basic services, training in new technologies and Big Data to improve access to the labour market or quality education for millions of children around the world thanks to the ProFuturo initiative.
More information: https://www.telefonica.com/en/sustainability-innovation/society/digital-inclusion/
