NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Papua New Guinea Advances Digital ID, Wallet and Govt Platform to Pilot

The pilots are supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Australian High Commission for New Guinea, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and GovStack.

Source

Biometric Update (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology

Region

Asia Pacific

Tags

digital identity, digital inclusion, Digital Public Infrastructure, public-private partnerships

Oracle to Invest $6.5 Billion in AI and Cloud Computing in Malaysia

The planned public cloud region will help organizations in Malaysia modernize their applications, migrate all types of workloads to the cloud, and innovate with data, analytics, and AI.

Source

TechNode Global (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology

Region

South Asia

Tags

artificial intelligence, data, digital inclusion, Digital Public Infrastructure

Pan-African Telco Paratus Group Partners with Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operators to Extend its Internet Network

Through its partnership agreements with global low earth orbit (LEO), Paratus is positioning itself to offer an extensive LEO satellite network across Africa as regulatory and satellite coverage hurdles are overcome.

Source

ITWeb (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology, Telecommunications

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

digital inclusion, infrastructure, partnerships

MTN Congo Launches 5G, Claims First in Central Africa

MTN Congo announced the deployment of its 5G network in Congo, claiming that the country is the first to launch 5G in Central Africa and a "digital revolution" that will transform Congolese lives.

Source

Techpoint Africa (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology, Telecommunications

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

digital inclusion, Digital Public Infrastructure, telecommunications

Report: Google Drives $16 Billion in Economic Growth, $700 Million in Revenue for Developers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Google's new report, titled "The Digital Opportunity of Sub-Saharan Africa," shows the company generated an estimated $16 billion in economic activity across Sub-Saharan Africa for businesses.

Source

Business Insider Africa (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, employment, infrastructure

Press Release: IFC and Airtel Africa Partner to Increase Access to High-Speed Mobile Connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite this connectivity gap, up to 86 percent of firms on the continent use mobile phones for business operations, according to IFC's recent report on digital connectivity in Africa.

Source

International Finance Corporation (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology, Telecommunications

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

corporations, digital inclusion, global development, infrastructure, mobile finance, partnerships

Smallholder Farmer Adoption of Agtech ‘High but Inconsistent,’ Says New Study From 60 Decibels W/ Gates Foundation

The research team interviewed more than 1,400 Kenyan farmers across 38 counties, using a lean methodology developed and tested in multiple geographies over 2022-2024.

Source

AgFunderNews (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

agtech, behavioral economics, data, digital inclusion, impact measurement, nonprofits, partnerships, research, smallholder farmers

International Investors Raise $34.5 Million for Digital Finance Firm Serving Indian MSMEs

FlexiLoans seeks to improve access to financial resources for millions of micro and small-scale entrepreneurs who are excluded from traditional lending, because they lack a conventional credit history.

Source

Impact Investor (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Finance, Technology

Region

Asia Pacific

Tags

credit scoring, digital finance, digital inclusion, financial inclusion, impact investing, lending, MSMEs