Over the past decade, the term ‘Next Billion Users’ has become a cornerstone of the tech ecosystem, symbolising the immense growth potential in the untapped markets of the Global South. In reality, the unprecedented boom that took place over the past 10 years has resulted in an increase of an estimated 3 billion users, greatly exceeding this initial goal. The efforts of these initiatives were broad, as tech platforms sought to reach as many new users from a range of emerging markets across Central & South America, South & South East Asia and Africa. The success of these efforts combined with the rise of AI/ML functions have seen a re-established push in NBU initiatives across the tech sector, so what do these next billion internet users look like?
By 2027, global internet penetration is expected to reach 71%, with over one billion new users coming online. This growth will be driven by countries like India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, where urbanisation, a rising middle class, and investments in digital infrastructure are rapidly closing the connectivity gap.
The next billion internet users span a diverse spectrum of geographies, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite this variety, there are a few defining characteristics that consistently emerge across this group, shaping their behaviours, needs, and interactions with technology.
Mobile-First (or Mobile-Only):
Many of these users will access the internet exclusively through smartphones, often low-cost Android devices. This trend is particularly strong in regions like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria, where mobile internet is the primary gateway to the digital world.
Localised Needs:
These users demand content and services in their native languages and dialects. For example, India alone has 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects, while Africa is home to over 2,000 languages. Companies that localise their products to reflect these cultural and linguistic nuances will not only gain trust but also position themselves as market leaders in these regions.
Affordability-Driven Behaviour:
Cost sensitivity shapes how these users interact with technology. They prioritise platforms and services that offer value without heavy data consumption or high subscription fees.
Trust and Safety Concerns:
With limited digital literacy, these users are more vulnerable to misinformation, scams, and harmful content. Building trust through safe, inclusive platforms is critical.
Entrepreneurial Spirit:
Many of these users leverage the internet for economic opportunities, from running small businesses on social media to participating in the gig economy. Platforms that empower entrepreneurship will thrive.
Why the Renewed Push for NBU Initiatives?
The rise of AI/ML has created new opportunities to serve these users more effectively:
- AI has the ability to tailor experiences to individual users, achieving personalisation at scale even in environments with limited resources.
- Voice assistants and visual search tools are transformative for users with low literacy, offering intuitive ways to interact with technology.
- Platforms can now support underrepresented languages and dialects thanks to advances in natural language processing (NLP), enabling the development of localised AI models.
At the same time, the global digital south represents untapped growth potential. As markets in the US and Europe mature, tech companies are looking to regions like South Asia, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, for their next wave of users.
How UNIO Global Aligns with NBU Initiatives
UNIO’s strengths position it as a key partner for tech companies targeting the next billion users:
We have a diverse, global workforce with 30,000+ annotators across 530 languages used across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, with dedicated teams in key NBU regions, UNIO can provide the cultural and linguistic expertise needed to localise AI models for emerging markets.
- Teams of localised Data Annotators across underrepresented languages and dialects are our speciality, by utilising UNIO’s teams you’re ensuring your AI system can understand and serve this new diverse user base.
- As platforms expand into South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa to serve the next billion users, trust and safety challenges become increasingly complex. UNIO has proven its ability to navigate these high-stakes environments, supporting some of the most sensitive and confidential initiatives in the industry. Our experience includes annotating highly secure datasets to train AI systems capable of detecting and mitigating critical risks. With teams strategically positioned across these regions, UNIO combines local expertise with global standards, ensuring platforms remain safe, inclusive, and ready to scale responsibly.
- The immense scale of NBU initiatives demands partners capable of managing high-volume, multilingual projects with precision. At UNIO, our teams have delivered millions of meticulously annotated data points, powering the AI/ML strategies of global tech leaders. With unmatched operational capacity and an agile approach, UNIO is uniquely positioned to meet these challenges head-on.
What’s Next?
To serve the next billion users effectively, tech companies need to:
- Invest in localised AI/ML models that reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of emerging markets.
- Prioritise affordable, mobile-first solutions that cater to cost-sensitive users.
- Build trust and safety frameworks to protect vulnerable users and foster long-term engagement.
UNIO can play a pivotal role in these efforts by providing the high-quality data and operational support needed to scale AI/ML initiatives responsibly.
