Türkiye’s network footprint is unusually strong for a regional crossroads. Multiple Mediterranean/Black Sea cable landings feed dense metro interconnection, anchored by DE-CIX Istanbul, which positions the country as a bridge between Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. In October 2025, Türkiye concluded a nationwide 5G spectrum tender (700 MHz and 3.5 GHz), with commercial service scheduled to start on 1 April 2026, a timeline that aligns it with leading regional roll-outs.
Regarding services and payments, the state e-Devlet gateway centralises access to hundreds of public services and is operated by the Presidency’s Digital Transformation Office with Türksat, an integrated model common to top regional performers. Meanwhile, the central bank’s FAST rail provides 24/7 instant payments with funds available within seconds, underpinning modern checkout and P2P experiences across providers.
Governance and trust frameworks have tightened markedly. Türkiye is executing a National Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2028 and, in March 2025, enacted a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Law (No. 7545) that centralises responsibilities for critical-sector protection. Data flows are supported by updated KVKK rules, including a By-Law and Standard Contracts (July 2024) for cross-border transfers. The .tr namespace now runs on TRABİS, BTK’s real-time registry. These measures put Türkiye near the regional frontier on practical enablers: resilient interconnection, imminent 5G, instant payments, and a modernised security and data framework.
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In skills and innovation, BiH performs relatively well regionally. Universities supply a consistent stream of ICT graduates, and recent AI-ecosystem mappings show a growing cluster of small AI firms and research groups. For its size, the country maintains a stronger-than-expected base of digital talent.
BiH also shows emerging strengths in cloud and telecom-enabled digitalisation. The state has deployed a government cloud platform, and BH Telecom’s cooperation with AWS supports broader adoption of cloud and AI services. International programmes further position BiH to benefit from regional digital infrastructure and SME-digitalisation investments.
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Libya’s connectivity adoption is relatively high by regional standards: the World Bank/ITU series reports ~88% of the population using the internet in 2023 (upper tier among MENA peers). Mobile connectivity is also widespread; one World Bank-sourced series reports ~193 mobile subscriptions per 100 people (2022), a level typical of high multi-SIM usage rather than unique coverage.
On international infrastructure, Libya is a notable Mediterranean landing geography. Sector reporting notes that Libya has landed four submarine cable systems, including EIG, the Italy–Libya cable, Silphium, and the domestic LFON coastal system. The Medusa system is planned to land in Tripoli and Benghazi (reported target: by the end of 2025) via LUIC/LPTIC. At the same time, Internet Society Pulse reports no active IXPs and only ~3% locally cached content, which can limit performance/resilience even when international capacity improves.
Cabo Verde boasts solid connectivity backed by multiple submarine cables—EllaLink, WACS, Atlantis‑2, SAT‑3, and SHARE—connecting the archipelago to Europe, West Africa, and South America. Domestic connectivity is ensured by an inter-island fibre-optic backbone, currently being upgraded through the CSII‑4 project to support faster, more stable broadband and upcoming 5G rollouts.
About 71% of the population has internet access, primarily via mobile devices. Cabo Verde ranks 111th globally in the UN E‑Government Development Index (0.624) with an e‑Participation score of 0.548. The government aims to digitalise 60% of public services by 2026 and exceed 80% by 2030.
Supported by frameworks like the Digital Economy Strategy and TechPark CV, Cabo Verde is nurturing entrepreneurship, innovation, and data-driven governance. Investments in ICT education—through programs like WebLab and vocational training, are helping build a digitally skilled workforce, positioning the country as a regional digital hub
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Colombia has rapidly upgraded its digital infrastructure and now ranks among the best in Latin America. It sits fourth-largest in data center development in the region, accounting for around 17 % of all projects, with global operators like Equinix, ODATA, and Ascenty investing heavily in Bogotá . The digital infrastructure boom is supported by Colombia’s strong renewable power portfolio, which ranks second in the Americas on the WEF’s Energy Transition Index, bolstering reliability for cloud and AI workloads . This convergence of power, stability, and digital capacity has elevated Colombia as a preferred tech hub.
On connectivity, Colombia is served by eight undersea cables—including AMX‑1, SAm‑1, CFX‑1, and PCCS, with additional routes like MANTA and Firmina adding capacity and resilience. It ranks second in Latin America for deployment of submarine systems, reinforcing its position as a core node in regional internet infrastructure . By 2023, 63 % of Colombians were regular internet users (up from 38 % in 2014), making it a leading driver of digital adoption in the region .
Despite gaps in rural coverage and digital skills (ranking 94th out of 141 in WEF’s Digital Skills Index), Colombia shines in digital innovation and infrastructure leadership. It hosts 12.8 % of Latin America’s digital firms, trailing only Brazil and Mexico, and places fourth among upper-middle-income economies in the Global Innovation Index. In summary, Colombia excels in data center capacity, renewable-powered digital infrastructure, connectivity, and regional tech presence—strengths that position it among the digital leaders globally within its band.
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Chad’s digital landscape is in an early stage of development, with internet governance shaped largely by state oversight and limited institutional frameworks. The country does not have a comprehensive national digital policy, though elements of digital regulation exist in telecommunications and media laws. Internet access remains low, hindered by infrastructure gaps, high costs, and limited rural connectivity, with governance structures focused primarily on controlling content and maintaining cybersecurity in line with public order concerns. The absence of independent regulatory bodies or multistakeholder forums restricts broader participation in internet policy discussions.
Digital strategies in Chad are fragmented, with no overarching plan comparable to comprehensive ICT or digital transformation strategies seen in other African nations. Initiatives tend to emerge through sector-specific programs or donor-supported projects, aiming to improve telecommunications infrastructure, expand mobile coverage, and enhance public administration through e-government pilots. However, implementation is constrained by financial limitations, low digital literacy, and a lack of sustained institutional coordination. E-commerce and AI adoption are still minimal, with activity limited to small-scale initiatives by private entrepreneurs and NGOs, rather than large-scale national programs.
Cybersecurity and data protection frameworks are underdeveloped. Chad lacks dedicated cybersecurity and data protection legislation, relying instead on general criminal law provisions and sectoral regulations to address cybercrime and privacy concerns.
Belize has developed a structured framework for digital governance through recent legislation and strategic plans. The Digital Government Act of 2022 established the E-Governance and Digitalisation Department to modernise public services, while the National Digital Agenda 2022–2025 outlines priorities such as improving infrastructure, fostering digital inclusion, and strengthening trust in online services. Supporting laws, including the Data Protection Act (2021) and Cybercrime Act (2020), provide legal safeguards for privacy and cybersecurity, while the Electronic Transactions Act enables e-commerce and digital signatures. These measures form the foundation for a more connected and secure digital ecosystem.
Connectivity has improved through investment in submarine and terrestrial fibre infrastructure. Belize participates in the ARCOS-1 regional submarine cable system and developed the SEUL cable to strengthen mainland–island connections, providing broadband capacity of up to 32 Tbps to Ambergris Caye. These initiatives place Belize among the better-connected states in the Caribbean, particularly for its size. Mobile penetration is high at over 90%, and social media usage exceeds two-thirds of the population, although overall internet penetration remains below 50%, highlighting a persistent urban-rural divide.
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Connectivity has expanded quickly relative to income peers: 73.2% of the population was online at the start of 2024, a level that compares favorably with many lower-middle-income countries tracked by international statistics. International bandwidth is anchored by the ALBA-1 submarine cable (activated 2013), which remains the principal undersea link for the island.
On the governance side, Cuba has adopted modern data-protection legislation (Law 149/2022) and launched a national AI strategy (2024) as part of its digital-transformation package, placing the country among the region’s governments with formal privacy rules and an articulated AI policy direction.
Despite being landlocked, Botswana has built diverse international routes. The state wholesale carrier BoFiNet is a consortium member of both WACS and EASSy submarine cables and has also secured capacity on Equiano, reached over terrestrial fibre via Namibia and South Africa; a national IXP (BINX) helps localise traffic. On the access side, Botswana was early to 5G (Mascom pilot in Feb 2022; Orange launched commercially in Nov 2022, ~30% population at launch), and LEO satellite service (Starlink) became operational in Aug 2024, broadening rural options.
The governance layer is comparatively mature for the region. The .bw domain is managed by the national regulator BOCRA; a national CSIRT (Botswana-CSIRT/BwCIRT) is established and accredited; and a modern Data Protection Act, 2024, entered into force on 14 January 2025, creating an independent Information and Data Protection Commission and strengthening compliance duties for public and private sectors. These institutions underpin a digital environment with relatively high adoption, multiple international paths, and clearer trust safeguards than many regional peers.
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