(Ecofin Agency) - Helped by the World Bank, Malawi has been increasing its efforts to accelerate its digital transformation.

The Malawian government recently launched a project to provide free Internet connectivity to public establishments and institutions in the country. According to DW, which reported the news, these include schools, courts, police stations, prisons, hospitals, and markets.

Over 500 public facilities have been connected in the last three months. And now, the government wants to expand the program to its next phase and to lobby the country's cell phone companies to further reduce data costs.

The initiative is part of Malawi's digital transformation program. Dubbed "Digital Malawi", the program is being implemented with financial support from the World Bank. Also, the country has awarded an operating license to 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 the DataReportal data platform, the country had 5.04 million Internet subscribers at the beginning of 2023. This figure represents a penetration rate of 24.4%.

Isaac K. Kassouwi