The Malawian government has recently initiated a project to provide free internet access to public institutions across the country, including schools, courts, police stations, prisons, hospitals, and markets.
In the past three months, more than 500 public facilities have been successfully received connection. The government now intends to advance the program into its next phase and is actively engaging with the nation’s mobile phone companies to further lower data costs.
The initiative is part of Malawi’s digital transformation program, known as “Digital Malawi,” which is receiving financial backing from the World Bank. Additionally, the country has granted an operational license to Starlink, a satellite Internet service provider that commenced commercial operations in Malawi last July.
These combined efforts are poised to expedite internet coverage in Malawi and reduce the digital divide. According to the most recent statistics from the DataReportal data platform, as of early 2023, the country boasted 5.04 million Internet subscribers, equating to a penetration rate of 24.4%.
