Global Digital Summit spotlights inclusive digital infrastructure as World Bank aims to bridge access gaps with tech-driven solutions and strategic partnerships.
The World Bank is intensifying efforts to bridge the global digital divide, aiming to connect the 2.6 billion people who still lack internet access. At the center of this initiative is the Accelerating Digitalisation Global Challenge Programme, designed to fast-track technology adoption across underserved regions through a blend of public policy and private investment.
The announcement, detailed in a recent statement on the Bank’s website, followed the second annual Global Digital Summit—a gathering of public and private sector leaders united in the goal of promoting inclusive digital development.
Building Digital Foundations for Inclusion
With its 80-year legacy in global development, the World Bank is leveraging digital public infrastructure (DPI)—including national IDs, digital payments systems, and data platforms—to improve how citizens connect to jobs, financial services, education, and healthcare. This robust infrastructure also supports the growth of cross-border digital markets and harmonizes regulations to create a more inviting environment for private sector investment.
“Digital transformation is one of the greatest opportunities of our time to drive growth and inclusion,” said Sangbu Kim, the World Bank’s Vice President for Digital Transformation. “At a moment when development is at a critical inflection point, digital technology can spark innovation, create jobs, and break down barriers to opportunity.”
Women at the Center of Connectivity Goals
A new initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership, is aimed specifically at improving affordable connectivity and digital literacy for women in lower-income countries. The goal: to bring 300 million more women online by 2030.
This targeted support reflects growing awareness that closing the gender digital divide is essential to broader development goals. In many low- and middle-income nations, women remain disproportionately offline, limiting access to opportunities and entrenching social and economic inequalities.
A Shared Agenda for a Resilient Digital Future
At the Global Digital Summit, leaders emphasized the importance of collaboration in building open and secure digital systems. The Bank’s strategy encourages shared international standards, inclusive governance models, and responsible data practices.
By supporting governments and institutions in designing scalable digital ecosystems, the World Bank hopes to catalyze digital inclusion in ways that are sustainable and locally led.
With this renewed focus, the Bank is not only investing in infrastructure, but in people—ensuring that digital transformation delivers equitable, long-lasting impact across all communities.
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