All research

Saudi Arabia is a leading country in digital transformation, with mobile connectivity playing a central role in supporting economic growth, innovation and Vision 2030. This study assesses Saudi Arabia’s mobile quality of service (QoS) and market status in a global context, with a focus on digital infrastructure benchmarking, 5G development, public policy, QoS obligations and alignment with international best practice.

The government and private sector in Japan have intensified their efforts to make a decisive ‘digital leap’ – a shift away from the incremental modernisation of legacy systems towards a bold, comprehensive transformation aimed at establishing a fully integrated, human-centred digital nation. By examining Japan’s recent digital policies and initiatives, this research reveals the strategic pillars and underlying factors supporting the country’s accelerated 'digital leap'.

Although significant progress has been made extending network coverage, rural populations remain 28% less likely to use mobile internet than their urban counterparts, and 30% less likely to regularly engage in online services such as messaging, banking and education. This latest research examines how the digital divide affects people living in rural areas, and how governments and regulators can address this challenge.

The slower uptake of mobile internet subscriptions in Africa is due to a range of factors, notably the lack of ability or willingness to own and use a smartphone. Affordability is the main reason for the comparatively low level of smartphone adoption in Africa. There is widespread agreement among stakeholders about the importance of increasing smartphone adoption in Africa by improving both affordability and accessibility, but progress remains slow due to persistent and complex barriers faced by the most vulnerable groups. This analysis draws on survey data from consumers in eight markets: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia, as well as insights from other countries across the continent.

Digitalisation continues to be a top priority for nations seeking to drive economic growth and foster inclusive, resilient societies. Continued progress with digitalisation will require increased efforts to address the digital investment gap, as indicated by a mismatch between the demand and supply of digital services. Drawing insights from the Digital Nations Index, this report highlights the investment gap in key areas across Asia Pacific.

This report evaluates the impact of mobile money interoperability on adoption, usage and competition. With interoperability now present in more than 90 markets, the study moves beyond binary classifications to assess how different policy models – market-led, regulator-led and voluntary – affect outcomes.

This report explores how digital financial services (DFS) are reshaping access to finance in low- and middle-income countries, particularly for underserved individuals and nano, micro and small enterprises. Despite significant progress – driven by innovations such as mobile money – 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, with women, rural communities and less educated groups most affected.

The final report in this series explores how affordability of entry-level, internet-enabled handsets and various data bundles have changed over time, and how affordability impacts different segments of the population.

In India, government initiatives and policy objectives reflect the country's increasing focus on digital sovereignty, with an emphasis on self-reliance in digital technologies. These build on the progress made by Digital India and prioritise the development of digital technologies for social and economic growth.

This fifth report in the series focuses on the barriers people face to adopting mobile internet and using it more, as well as how these differ by country and whether they live in a rural or urban area.

This fourth report in the series goes beyond mobile internet adoption to examine how people actually use mobile internet. It looks at frequency of use, the range of online activities they engage in, and the differences in use across countries and demographics.

This third report in the series examines how network coverage and infrastructure are expanding, and investigates network quality. These factors affect people’s ability to access the internet and their experience when doing so.

This second report in the series explores how mobile internet adoption has evolved since 2015. It examines three areas: the share of the population using mobile internet, the proportion still living outside mobile broadband coverage (the coverage gap), and those who live within mobile broadband coverage but are not yet online (the usage gap).

The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025 considers the importance of not just mobile broadband coverage but ‘meaningful connectivity’ – users having a safe, satisfying, enriching and productive online experience that is affordable in their context. This is the first in the series and summarises the key findings from the other five publications.

Successfully realising ASEAN’s development plans requires concerted efforts by stakeholders to fully leverage the opportunities presented by digitalisation. This report highlights three principal measures to improve digital readiness: bridge the infrastructure gap, accelerate regional policy harmonisation, and leverage international cooperation mechanisms.

By 2030, a significant investment gap will remain in the Pacific Islands unless reform is implemented to unlock investment, improve returns and affordability, and remove the barriers hindering adoption and digital inclusion.

The rapid expansion of digital technologies, and mobile connectivity in particular, has profoundly impacted scam techniques and their reach. All individuals with a mobile subscription – approximately 5.8 billion people – are potential targets for scams. Rises in the volume, frequency, sophistication and success rate of scams in recent years are having a significant financial impact on victims and the global economy.

The recent announcement that the government in Malaysia has granted a second nationwide 5G licence removes what was in effect an infrastructure monopoly and paves the way for a dual-network model. This report highlights how the move to a 5G dual-network model is the right one for customer choice, long-term financial sustainability and Malaysia's competitiveness as a tech and services economy.

Industries worldwide are undergoing significant digital transformation, fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate and interact. At the core of this shift, connectivity is a crucial enabler. While the economic benefits of mobile connectivity are well documented, the broader impact of digital transformation across industries remains less understood. This study offers empirical evidence on how the latest wave of digital technologies is fuelling economic growth.