A mobile signal can reach a community while the internet remains out of reach for many people living there.
In its State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2026, launched on 15 September, GSMA says more than 3.4 billion people still do not use mobile internet. Most already live within mobile broadband coverage.
The report identifies handset affordability as the biggest barrier to adoption across surveyed low- and middle-income countries, followed by a lack of digital skills.
Its regional figures show that, at the end of 2025, an entry-level internet-enabled handset cost the poorest fifth of people in sub-Saharan Africa the equivalent of 76 per cent of their average monthly income. This is a regional finding, not a Zambia-specific estimate.
For Zambia, the report raises useful questions about device prices, digital skills and whether people can afford to keep using online services after buying a phone.
Network expansion matters. So does making connectivity usable for the people it is intended to reach.
Sources: GSMA connectivity report announcement, 15 September 2026
Illustrative photo by Paul Hanaoka / Unsplash. The person pictured is not identified as a participant in the GSMA research. Image source.