A new connectivity roadmap from the GSMA and the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa argues that network coverage alone will not deliver inclusive digital identity and public services. The analysis says hundreds of millions of people live within mobile-broadband coverage but do not use mobile internet.
The usage gap is larger than the coverage gap
The roadmap reports that roughly 906 million people, about 60 percent of Africa’s population, were within mobile-broadband coverage but remained offline in 2025. It draws on 11 countries and shows that the main barriers differ by market. In some places infrastructure is still the constraint; elsewhere device cost, electricity, skills, trust or the usefulness of available services matters more.
That distinction is important for digital identity programs. A credential or government portal may be technically available, yet remain inaccessible to a person who cannot afford a smartphone, maintain connectivity or use the service confidently. Expanding online identity without addressing those conditions can reproduce offline exclusion.
Digital participation requires coordinated investment
The roadmap calls for affordable devices, migration from legacy networks, reliable energy, shared rural infrastructure and services that provide practical value. Governments planning digital-ID access should also retain assisted and offline channels, test accessibility and avoid making essential services dependent on one device or network. SectechMedia follows identity infrastructure in its access control and identity coverage.
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