Countries
Sri Lanka
Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws
Sri Lanka’s digital profile is mid-tier by global benchmarks, with the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024 ranking 98/193 (0.6667) and an E-Participation ranking of 108/193. At the network-ecosystem level, Internet Society’s tracker reports one active IXP in Sri Lanka (Colombo) with a small member base as of December 2025, which matters for keeping domestic traffic local.
On strategy and governance, the state’s main documents include the National Digital Economy Strategy 2030 (Digital Sri Lanka 2030) and the National Digital Government/Governance Policy, which is to say, digital service delivery and public-sector transformation. A related reference point is the Draft National Digital Policy 2020–2025, and the government’s ‘whole-of-government’ delivery approach is reflected in the Sri Lanka Government Enterprise Architecture (SL-GEA).
From internet shutdowns to the Online Safety Act
One ‘surprising’ internet-governance thread in Sri Lanka is how temporary platform shutdowns during crises have gradually been paired with a formal content-regulation law. During the 2022 protest wave, measurement groups documented a multi-platform block (Facebook, Twitter/X, WhatsApp, Viber, YouTube) that lasted roughly 15–16 hours, demonstrating the state’s willingness to use network-level restrictions in acute moments. In 2024, Parliament enacted the Online Safety Act, creating an Online Safety Commission empowered to act against broadly defined ‘prohibited statements,’ including mechanisms critics say can lead to orders to remove content and disable access, a shift from ad hoc restrictions to a standing enforcement architecture.
Connectivity policy is expressed through both projects and licensing decisions. TRCSL’s ‘Gamata Sannivedanaya (Connect Sri Lanka)’ is explicitly framed as a national effort to achieve 100% 4G/fibre broadband coverage. For 5G, TRCSL reports conducting the country’s first-ever spectrum auction and awarding spectrum for IMT-2020 (5G) broadband services. International resilience is supported by multiple submarine cables; for example, SLT-Mobitel reported landing SEA-ME-WE 6 in Matara.
In cloud and emerging tech, Sri Lanka has a public-sector Cloud First stance via the Policy for the Adoption of Cloud Services by Government Organisations, which directs agencies to prefer cloud for new ICT deployments. The country also has a formal National AI Strategy and is developing broader ‘connected government‘ building blocks to support interoperable digital services. For digital payments for public services, GovPay is a government online payment platform that allows paying fees and charges via banks and wallets.
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Trust and market rules are being built out in parallel. Cybersecurity is anchored in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2025–2029 (NCSOC) and the National Cyber Protection Strategy 2025–2029, following an earlier National Information and Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2023 published by Sri Lanka CERT|CC. For data protection, Sri Lanka enacted the Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, with later amendments issued in 2025.
In content governance, Parliament passed the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024, establishing a framework for the Online Safety Commission. For e-commerce, the legal basis includes the Electronic Transactions Act (2006), and consumer-facing rules were strengthened by the Consumer Affairs Authority’s 2023 Gazette direction, which defines e-commerce entities/platforms and sets conditions.
Sri Lanka’s permanent mission to the UN:
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva serves as Sri Lanka’s official delegation in Geneva-based multilateral forums, including the UN system headquartered at UNOG. The Mission was established in December 1964 and also provides consular services to Sri Lankans in Switzerland through its Geneva-based services.
Official website: https://www.lankamission.org/
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Angola
Angola’s standout digital strength is international connectivity diversity. Alongside legacy SAT-3/WASC and WACS landings at Luanda/Sangano, Angola operates SACS, the world’s first trans-South Atlantic cable linking Angola to Brazil (RFS 2018), and welcomed a 2Africa landing in Luanda in 2023. This mix gives the country unique routing options on Africa’s west coast and resilience when regional routes are impaired.
Domestically, Angola performs strongly in local interconnection: the Luanda IXP (Angonix) is among Africa’s largest exchanges, and the Internet Society’s tracker shows high IXP coverage of domestic networks (≈approximately 84%), indicating that a large share of Angolan networks can exchange traffic locally, thereby reducing latency and costs.
On the policy side, Angola has a comprehensive data-protection law (Lei 22/11) enforced by the Agência de Protecção de Dados, and it is progressing with next-generation access via 5G spectrum in the 3.3–3.7 GHz band, licensed to Unitel, Movicel, and Africell. A state-led Rede Nacional de Banda Larga (RNBL) programme is being expanded, with sizeable investments planned for 2025, pointing to continued backbone growth.
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Morocco
Morocco’s connectivity base is strong by regional standards. Mobile penetration reached roughly 149% of the population in Q1-2024 (55.2 million SIMs), reflecting multi-SIM use and wide network reach. In November 2025, all three operators, Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc, and Inwi, launched 5G services, with early coverage concentrated in major cities and phased expansion through 2025–2026.
Traffic localisation and resilience are improving. The regulator ANRT formalised a national Internet exchange point (IXP) project in December 2023, contracting turnkey implementation and management, a step expected to lower latency and costs for domestic traffic. Internationally, Morocco adds new Mediterranean capacity via the Medusa system (landing at Nador), complementing existing Europe links and supporting cloud/content routes to nearby Iberian regions.
On the service and governance side, digital commerce and cloud are scaling with clearer rules. CMI’s official dashboard shows sustained growth in online payments and e-commerce transactions through 2023–2024, while a binding cloud-qualification regime, Decree No. 2-24-921 issued by DGSSI, now governs use of cloud providers for sensitive and critical systems (published in the Official Bulletin in February 2025). Together, these measures position Morocco among the more structured digital markets in North Africa.
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Suriname
Suriname’s digital profile is strong for a small state in the Guianas. Internet use reaches roughly three-quarters of the population, mobile penetration exceeds 100%, and median mobile speeds above 50 Mbps place the country near the top of mainland Caribbean and northern South American small economies. Investments in 4G and coastal fibre have helped raise overall access quality.
The country has also improved its international and domestic infrastructure. The Suriname–Guyana cable and the new Deep Blue One system provide it with multiple fibre routes and greater resilience than many of its peers. A Tier-3-designed data centre (Datasur) and an active internet exchange point enable a growing share of traffic to stay local, thereby improving performance and reliability.
Suriname performs well on digital payments and cloud-readiness indicators as well. The SNEPS system supports modern payment rails, the National Payment Council drives further digitisation, and local providers offer cloud and hosting services used by SMEs and the public sector. Anchored by a National Digital Strategy focused on connectivity, data and skills, these elements place Suriname ahead of many small Caribbean states, even as e-commerce and AI adoption are still developing.
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Somalia
Somalia’s digital infrastructure is regulated by the National Communications Authority (NCA), which oversees telecommunications, spectrum management, satellite licensing, and emerging technologies. Since the implementation of the 2017 Communications Act, the country has made substantial progress in building institutional capacity, including the establishment of a national 5G framework, submarine cable regulations, and a national spectrum monitoring centre. The private sector, particularly operators like Hormuud Telecom, plays a leading role in providing nationwide mobile network coverage and expanding broadband access through fibre and wireless technologies.
The digital economy is primarily supported by a well-developed mobile money ecosystem. Services such as EVC-Plus, Sahal, and WAAFI are widely used for domestic transactions, including retail, salary payments, and government services. According to the World Bank and the Central Bank of Somalia, mobile money accounts for over 70 percent of all financial transactions in the country. In parallel, formal banking systems have adopted real-time gross settlement and instant payment services, supported by public–private collaboration and regulatory modernisation.
The ICT and digital economy sector contributes an estimated 11 percent to Somalia’s gross domestic product. This includes telecommunications, digital financial services, and emerging e-commerce platforms. The government has initiated reforms to strengthen digital governance, such as the Data Protection Act (2023), the national instant payments system (SPS), and the ongoing development of a national cybersecurity strategy. While digital uptake is high in urban centres, challenges remain in rural access, infrastructure reliability, and institutional capacity. Nonetheless, Somalia continues to make measurable progress in integrating digital technologies into its broader development agenda.
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Benin
Benin is a regional leader in public sector digital maturity. According to the 2023 World Bank GovTech Maturity Index, the country scored an impressive 68/100 on the Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI)—the highest among WAEMU member states—reflecting well-developed one‑stop portals, e‑payment systems, and tax filings via its service‑public.bj platform. Benin migrated from Group C to Group B in GTMI, showing “significant focus” in digital transformation with core government systems score of 0.645, GovTech enablers at 0.667, and an overall GTMI of 0.678.
In artificial intelligence readiness, Benin ranks among the top five in Sub‑Saharan Africa, trailing only behind Mauritius, South Africa, Rwanda, and Senegal according to the Government AI Readiness Index. Its readiness score of approximately 41.4 demonstrates that Benin is a pioneer among lower-middle-income countries in adopting AI strategy, legal frameworks, and public-sector innovation planning.
These strengths reflect Benin’s strong institutional architecture, notably ASIN’s leadership, and its proactive rollout of foundational digital infrastructure—such as interoperability platforms, digital identity services, and PKI—alongside targeted initiatives like the National AI Strategy (SNIAM 2023–2027). Together, these elements position Benin as a standout performer in both GovTech transformation and national AI preparedness in West Africa.
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Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire has positioned itself as a digital leader in West Africa, supported by significant investments in broadband infrastructure, submarine connectivity, and mobile financial services. The country is connected to multiple high-capacity submarine cables—WACS, MainOne, SAT-3, and soon 2Africa—giving it one of the region’s strongest international bandwidth capacities. Its mobile money ecosystem, driven by Orange and MTN, is among the most developed in Francophone Africa, underpinning the expansion of e-commerce, where informal platforms dominate and urban online retail continues to grow steadily.
The government has adopted a wide range of digital strategies, including the National Digital Development Strategy 2021–2025, the Cybersecurity Strategy 2021–2025, and the National AI and Data Governance Strategy launched in 2025. Côte d’Ivoire also has one of West Africa’s most comprehensive data protection laws (since 2013) and an active regulatory authority, ARTCI, overseeing both data privacy and telecoms. Public services are undergoing digitisation through major initiatives like PARAE and Zero-Paper 2030, while capacity-building efforts are channelled through the Smart Africa Digital Academy and local innovation hubs.
In terms of AI, Côte d’Ivoire is among the few African countries with a dedicated national AI strategy and ethics framework, including a planned ‘Safe AI’ label. The country also leads in regional efforts to integrate AI in governance, environmental monitoring, and public policy, and has produced internationally recognised innovators. With continued focus on infrastructure, inclusion, and ethics, Côte d’Ivoire is emerging as one of the most digitally progressive states in West Africa.
Consult Côte d’Ivoire’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
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Andorra
Andorra demonstrates a notably advanced digital infrastructure and connectivity profile. It was the first country worldwide to achieve 100 % fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) coverage, ensuring widespread high-speed internet access. Its fixed broadband performance ranks among the highest globally: according to Ookla, Andorra held the 6th fastest fixed broadband speeds, averaging 211 Mbps download and 96 Mbps upload, which well exceeds global averages. Additionally, the ICT Development Index (IDI) 2024 places Andorra in a high tier (score: 88.8/100), ahead of most countries and indicating strong digital maturity in areas like connectivity, usage, and infrastructure.
In terms of digital public services and adoption, Andorra performs strongly, though it lacks published comparative rankings. As of 2024, the country scored 76.4/100 for digital public services to citizens and 88.5/100 for businesses, with e-health records access scoring 72.6/100, all aligning with its Digital Decade ambitions. Digital identity systems are also well-developed: Andorra achieved a Digital Identity Readiness Score of 77.5/100, categorised as ‘High,’ supported by robust online authentication and verification capabilities. Internet adoption is high among the population: 95.5 % were internet users in early 2025, with mobile connections exceeding 150 % of the population, and 98.3 % of these being broadband-capable.
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Bangladesh
Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws
A sharp contrast between rapid digital-state expansion and recurrent struggles over rights and control defines Bangladesh’s digital profile. The clearest example was the July–August 2024 internet shutdown, which OONI describes as the country’s longest and most complex to date: a roughly 22-day disruption that combined blackouts, throttling, cache-server deactivation, social-media blocking, and VPN interference during the 2024 uprising.
At the same time, Bangladesh has built a more capable digital state than many observers assume. In the UN E-Government Survey 2024, it ranked 100th out of 193 on the E-Government Development Index and 70th on the E-Participation Index, improving from 111th and 75th, respectively, in 2022. That places Bangladesh among the stronger digital-government improvers in South Asia, reflecting years of investment in online public services, portal-based administration, and a national digital-architecture approach.
The legal and policy framework has expanded quickly, especially since 2025. Bangladesh now has the Personal Data Protection Ordinance, 2025, the National Data Management Ordinance, 2025, and the Cyber Protection Ordinance, 2025, which replaced the earlier Cyber Security Act, 2023. Alongside these are the National ICT Policy 2018, the Bangladesh Cybersecurity Strategy 2021–2025, and the National Digital Commerce Policy 2018.
Bangladesh is also pushing into AI, cloud, and emerging technologies, though much of this agenda is still being formalised. The government has published a draft National AI Policy 2026–2030, and the ICT Division’s draft-policy page also lists draft national cloud and blockchain policies. This builds on earlier strategy work, including the Bangladesh AI strategy and the Bangladesh National Digital Architecture framework.
On infrastructure and the digital economy, Bangladesh combines large-scale connectivity with some clear structural limits. The country had 128.99 million internet subscriptions in January 2026, including 114.22 million mobile internet users, underscoring the continued dominance of mobile-first access. Internationally, Bangladesh is anchored by the state-owned submarine cable backbone: SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5 are live, while SEA-ME-WE-6 is under construction and is expected to begin service in the last quarter of 2026. In commerce, the Digital Commerce Policy 2018 and the Digital Commerce Operation Guideline 2021 reflect a market that is growing but is also shaped by trust issues, platform scandals, and tighter payment and consumer-protection oversight.
Taken together, Bangladesh is best understood not as a simple success-or-failure story, but as a country where digital development and digital control have advanced together. Freedom House’s internet-freedom assessments capture that tension: Bangladesh remained rated ‘Partly Free’ in 2024, while the 2025 report noted significant improvement after the political transition but also continuing concerns.
Related news on dig.watch
- BNP condemns Bangladesh Government’s internet shutdowns
- Bangladesh unveils national roadmap for ethical AI development
- Bangladesh’s digital push faces challenges amidst election controversy
- ICT policy reform planned to boost digital economy in Bangladesh
- EU and Bangladesh strengthen cooperation on cybersecurity and digital economy
Bangladesh’s permanent mission to the UN:
Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission in Geneva represents the country at the UN Office at Geneva and other international organisations based there, making it one of Bangladesh’s key hubs for multilateral diplomacy. It handles Bangladesh’s engagement on issues such as human rights, health, trade, labour, migration, and humanitarian affairs, and provides consular services to Bangladeshis in Switzerland and nearby areas. The mission is currently headed by Ambassador and Permanent Representative H.E. Ms Nahida Sobhan.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/bangladesh
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
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