All research

Africa has expanded mobile broadband coverage significantly, but a substantial connectivity gap remains. This report examines how spectrum availability, pricing and licensing conditions affect operators’ ability to expand coverage, improve network quality and support digital adoption. It provides a comprehensive assessment of Africa’s current spectrum policy and licensing landscape, highlighting key challenges around spectrum assignments, pricing, licence obligations, technology neutrality, spectrum roadmaps and licence duration.

Closing Africa’s connectivity gap will require coordinated action by governments, the private sector, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders to overcome persistent barriers to digital inclusion. This study provides evidence-based analysis of the structural and demand-side constraints that limit connectivity. It assesses existing digital inclusion initiatives and identifies opportunities to strengthen the ability and motivation of underserved groups to adopt and use internet services.

Asia Pacific is entering a new phase of digital development. As digital platforms become integral to economic activity, public services, finance, communications and emerging technologies such as AI, trust becomes a critical enabler of digital transformation. This report examines the trust imperative across Asia Pacific, examines the results of the Digital Nations Index in the context of trust, outlines the role of mobile operators as guardians of digital trust, and presents priorities for strengthening the foundations of digital trust for governments, regulators, operators and international cooperation institutions.

Developing Asia Pacific is home to 4.3 billion people – more than half the world’s population. However, 1.2 billion people are not online. Achieving universal connectivity by 2030 will require additional investment of around $184 billion. The economic case for closing this gap is significant. Closing the 4G connectivity gap by 2030 is estimated to deliver a GDP uplift of around $230 billion across Developing Asia Pacific. Universal connectivity would also have several wider socioeconomic benefits such as poverty reduction, improved education and health access, humanitarian assistance and lower carbon emissions. This report presents the findings from a study by GSMA Intelligence on closing the mobile connectivity gap in Developing Asia Pacific, commissioned by the Asian Development Bank.

By the end of 2025, the number of people using mobile internet increased to 4.8 billion people (59% of the global population). However, around 3.4 billion people still do not use mobile internet, and significant digital divides persist. As advancements in technologies such as AI accelerate the pace of digitalisation, it is more critical than ever to ensure no one is left behind. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 provides the mobile industry and other stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity, as well as insights on key barriers to mobile internet adoption and to further use of mobile internet among existing users.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in digital services, the capabilities required to participate online are evolving. Beyond basic digital skills, people need the confidence, critical thinking and safety awareness to navigate AI-enabled systems, assess information and access opportunities. This latest research from GSMA Intelligence explores how digital literacy needs are changing in the AI era. It examines the approaches that can help build the skills required for meaningful participation in the digital economy.

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).