Malawi is stepping up initiatives to accelerate its digital transformation. The executive is supported in its projects by the World Bank.
The Malawian government recently launched a project to provide free internet connectivity to public establishments and institutions in the country, reports DW news agency . These include schools, courts, police stations, prisons, hospitals, markets, etc.
More than 500 public establishments have been connected over the last three months, we learn. The Malawi government now wants to expand the program into its next phase and push for the country’s mobile phone companies to further reduce data costs.
The initiative is part of Malawi’s digital transformation agenda. Called “Digital Malawi”, the program is implemented with financial support from the World Bank. Furthermore, the executive awarded an operating license to the satellite Internet service provider Starlink which launched its commercial activities in the country last July.
These various initiatives should help accelerate Internet coverage in Malawi and reduce the digital divide. According to the latest statistics from data platform DataReportal, the country had 5.04 million subscribers to Internet services at the start of 2023. This figure represents a penetration rate of 24.4%.