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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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is advancing its digital transformation through the Plan National du Numérique Horizon 2025, launched in 2019. This strategy prioritizes infrastructure expansion, digital services, and improved governance. National fiber backbone projects, such as the Central African Backbone and 2Africa subsea cable landing, have expanded connectivity, while data centers like Raxio DRC1 and IXPs in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Goma support growing internet traffic. Despite these developments, internet penetration remains low—around 27%—and access is uneven between urban and rural areas.
Cybersecurity and data protection frameworks have begun to take shape. The 2023 Digital Code defines personal data rights, mandates breach notifications, and outlines rules for cross-border transfers, though enforcement mechanisms remain limited. A national cybersecurity agency and data protection authority are legally established but not yet operational. Internet shutdowns during political unrest and outdated surveillance laws continue to pose risks to digital rights and service continuity.
E-commerce, AI, and emerging technologies are gradually gaining traction. Mobile money is expanding, though cash dominates online transactions. Startups in agriculture, logistics, and climate resilience are integrating AI tools, and the DRC has partnered with international initiatives to strengthen its innovation ecosystem. Challenges remain in regulation, logistics, and digital literacy, but ongoing investments and global cooperation are positioning the DRC for steady digital growth.
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On the demand side, China remains the largest online retail market globally: ¥15.42 trillion in online retail sales in 2023. The country also houses one of the biggest public cloud and data-centre footprints in Asia, underpinned by the national ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ program: by mid-2024, authorities cited ¥43.5 billion (US$6.1 billion) invested in eight computing hubs, with industry reporting ~1.95 million racks installed.
China has moved early on AI governance in emerging technologies while scaling domestic services: regulators reported 346 generative-AI services on file by 31 March 2025. These digital capabilities ride on extensive backbone networks and international links, and policy continues to prioritise compute build-out, even as officials work to improve utilisation across data-centre capacity added in recent years.
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The Central African Republic (CAR) stands out globally for its early experimentation with cryptoassets. It is one of only a few countries worldwide to have made Bitcoin legal tender, through its 2022 cryptocurrency law, and it has gone further with a tokenisation law that allows land and natural resources to be represented on a national blockchain platform (Sango). In the regional context, this places CAR among the most aggressive regulators in formalising crypto transactions in law, even if practical uptake remains limited and the macro-economic risks are significant.
Within Central Africa, CAR has also moved quickly on the normative side of digital governance. In 2024, it adopted both a comprehensive personal data protection law and a cybersecurity/cybercrime law, establishing a dedicated data protection authority and a national cybersecurity agency. Combined with its 2018 electronic communications law and 2022 e-transactions law, this provides CAR with one of the more comprehensive digital legal frameworks among low-income, conflict-affected states in the region, although institutional capacity and enforcement are still in their early stages.
CAR still lags behind in basic connectivity, but for a landlocked, low-income country, it has built a surprisingly solid digital backbone. The Central African Backbone and national fibre network now link Bangui to regional submarine cables, supported by a national data centre and digital training centre. Alongside a new digital development agency and World Bank-backed reforms for public data management, this gives CAR a relatively well-structured core digital infrastructure, despite persistent gaps in last-mile access, electricity and affordability.
Despite major challenges, Libya is actively advancing its digital landscape through strategic initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and other digital fields. On 17 May 2024, the Communications and Informatics Authority launched the National Artificial Intelligence Policy. This policy aims to promote digital innovation and sustainable development by establishing frameworks for AI adoption, ethical standards, and infrastructure development.
In recent years, Libya has introduced pivotal legislation to enhance cybersecurity. Law No. 5 of 2022 on Combating Cybercrime addresses various cyber offences, including hacking, identity theft, and cyber terrorism, aiming to deter malicious activities and hold offenders accountable.
Additionally, Law No. 6 of 2022 on Electronic Transactions governs the validity and regulation of electronic transactions, introducing data protection requirements for entities handling personal data, and emphasising transparency, consent, and accountability.
Despite these legislative efforts, Libya currently lacks a comprehensive data protection law and a dedicated data protection authority. Provisions within existing legislation, such as the Electronic Transactions Law, address aspects of data protection and privacy. Articles 12 and 13 of the Constitutional Declaration of 2011 guarantee citizens’ rights to private life and the confidentiality of communications.
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Belarus features a centrally managed digital infrastructure anchored by Beltelecom and the National Traffic Exchange, with the government controlling international peering via BY‑IX and backbone links to Russia, Europe, and neighbouring countries. Internet penetration is high—91.5% of the population was online in January 2025, with median fixed‑line speeds at ~75 Mbps and mobile speeds ~13 Mbps, supported by broad 4G coverage and ongoing plans for state‑run 5G rollout led by a unified operator.
The IT industry, especially the Hi‑Tech Park (HTP), is the primary driver of the digital economy. Under Decree No. 8 (2017), HTP companies enjoy tax incentives and are pioneering in blockchain, smart contracts, and AI. As of Q1 2025, HTP hosts ~1,000 resident firms employing ~59,000, with exports at $459 M (+7% y/y) and domestic IT sales topping Br 2 B (+24%). The ICT sector accounted for about 7.4% of GDP in 2021 but has eased to roughly 4–5% in recent years.
Digital governance is overseen by the Operations and Analysis Center (OAC) under presidential authority, which manages government cloud services (beCloud), cybersecurity, data peering, and DDoS protection. Though Belarus lacks a standalone digital law, recent decrees—such as No. 66 (2021) and No. 102 (2023)—expand e‑government, smart‑city deployment, and regulatory oversight. AI readiness and digital standards are also gaining traction, with Belarus integrating CIS-model AI law frameworks by 2040 .
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Comoros has adopted the ‘Comores Numérique 2028‘ strategy—first drafted in 2018 and adopted in 2019—to develop national digital infrastructure, public services, regulatory frameworks, cybersecurity, ICT-driven economic growth, and education. It aims to raise ICT’s share of GDP to 5 %, boost internet penetration from ~8 % in 2017 toward 54 %, and launch 14 e-government platforms with a budget of around 8 billion KMF ($17.5 million).
Digital infrastructure investments include a new Tier‑III national data centre operational since May 2025—built via an AfDB-funded project (~€9.5 million)—to host government and public services locally and support digital identity, interoperability, and e‑payments. Meanwhile, telecom operator Yas Comoros, supported by IFC (€13 million in 2019 and €25 million in 2025), is deploying 5G, fibre-to-home/office, and improved inter-island connectivity to meet rising demand.
These efforts are coordinated by ANADEN (National Digital Development Agency) and overseen by ANRTIC, with support from international partners (World Bank, ITU, AfDB, IFC). Despite progress in infrastructure and institutional setup, key challenges remain: extending services to rural areas, scaling e‑government platforms, strengthening cybersecurity and data protection, and nurturing digital skills. Future progress hinges on closing those gaps
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Despite modest overall rankings, Eswatini stands out regionally in several digital adoption metrics. Internet penetration reached about 57–58 percent of the population by early 2025. surpassing the African average of approximately 39 percent. Additionally, roughly 52 percent of the top 1,000 websites are locally served from in‑country caches or servers—exceeding the Internet Society’s 50 percent benchmark and significantly outperforming the regional average of 33 percent.
On the digital infrastructure and innovation front, Eswatini exhibits noteworthy strengths. It ranks second in Africa (after South Africa) in terms of internet speed, leading the region. According to the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2023, the country ranks globally 6th for mobile apps development, 47th for firms with websites, and 49th for internet access in schools—highlighting leadership in these specific sub‑pillars.
Overall, Eswatini’s digital ecosystem reflects a mixed performance: while the country achieves above‑average results in areas such as internet usage, content localisation, speed, and digital education uptake, broader gaps remain, particularly in emerging technology investment, e‑participation, and international bandwidth infrastructure.
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