Closing the digital divide in Central Asia and the South Caucasus

Countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are undergoing a digital revolution, driven by ambitious government digital transformation initiatives and a general trend towards greater digitalisation, spurred by the pandemic. But while the industry continues to invest in innovative solutions and partnerships to extend connectivity to still underserved and far-flung communities, the adoption of mobile internet services has not kept pace with the expansion of network coverage.

Around 45 million people now use mobile internet across the eight countries that this report focuses on. While this is more than three times the number of mobile internet users a decade earlier, nearly 50 million unconnected people remain at risk of missing out on the benefits of mobile internet. Connectivity will play an even more integral role in society over the next decade and beyond, underlining the urgency to close the digital divide and bring unconnected people online.