Providing universal access to a democratic internet by 2030 should be a critical priority for world leaders to help prepare for and respond to future pandemics, former prime minister Tony Blair has said. In the foreword to a new report by the Tony Blair Institute, Mr Blair said closing the digital divide would boost economic growth and improve the lives of “billions” of people. The report suggests the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how reliant many different aspects of life are on internet access and yet more than 3.5 billion people live without access to the online world. It calls on the G20 to make a coordinated effort to stimulate demand for connectivity technology to improve infrastructure investment opportunities, as well as introduce regulatory reforms to open up markets and reduce prices for consumers around the world.