if "IoT/Robot/AI" or whatever it becomes can adapt to their needs, the people who don't need the internet, maybe there is a market there.
People can either afford the Internet or not. If they can't afford it, there are good chances they can't afford to pay any other bills.
These people are usually not in developing countries, but the developed ones. The developed ones where no amount of government laws can bring affordable Internet to the public, nor any places with free WiFi nor good libraries with free browsing facilities.
So clearly, there is something bigger at play, and it is about artificially pricing people out of a market being the ultimate goal.
The people who do really need to be on the Internet in such a society would have already worked their way around it. And if not, they have other issues to take care of before they go to artificially high priced internet.
One thing is, what we think people need and another is what they really need. It will be more relevant to use so-called LSM's - Lifestyle measures while evaluating the importance of the internet. That said how do we explain the resident of the village with no clean drinking water, buying a cell phone or kitchen appliance? or a mother paying for her son's education tutoring, even when she goes hungry? A farmer investing in cattle before improving his house? These are all facts and I am sure many of us have heard these stories. One thing is what we perceive and another is what people really need.
Btw by working with the local communities, providing resources, training and constant assistance, we also seem to encourage them to see the relevance of an Internet connection. We hope to prove that most of our beneficiaries will be willing to continue paying for their Internet fees long after we have stopped paying for them. According to preliminary studies most of the families are ready to reprioritize their costs and maintain an internet connection. Because of the high price barrier, they couldn't afford the internet and now since they understand its role in their lives and its relevance, their priorities have changed.
Is the answer - job opportunities, free education, survival skills? The truth is that the internet does provide these, but how many of them actually use it?
Young people adopt technology easily and use it the same way their peers in wealthy countries and sometimes even more consciously because their problems are much different from the first world ones. They use it to serve their basic needs, but also it becomes a window to the world and opportunities for them - a chance. Internet helps them discover their interests and passions, trying things out and learn about new professions they've never heard about.
Anyway, it is better to be connected in today's world, than not. Why? because of the same reasons why none of us here on HN would give up their connection.