Over $82 Billion Pledged to ITU's Partner2Connect Coalition

ITU, the UN agency for digital technologies, announced new industry pledges to its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition. This brings total commitments to over $82 billion to expand global Internet connectivity and bridge the digital divide.​

Launched in 2021, Partner2Connect serves as a mobilization platform to rally commitments from governments, the private sector, and civil society for projects and investments that support connectivity and digital inclusion,  particularly in the world's most remote communities. The announcement was made by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin at MWC 2026, against a backdrop of 2.2 billion people remaining offline, missing out on opportunities afforded by digital technologies, from education and healthcare to entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence. With P2C pledges steadily growing, the initiative is firmly on track to meet its USD 100 billion target by the end of 2026.

“Today's milestone shows what's possible when we pool our collective resources towards making connectivity universal and meaningful," said Bogdan-Martin. “Reaching $82 billion in pledges through Partner2Connect means unlocking life-changing opportunities for hundreds of millions of people that are still offline."

The pledges announced at MWC 2026 include a $1.715 billion investment in data centers, submarine cables, and 5G and next-generation network infrastructure by Mobily, a $500 million investment in submarine and terrestrial optical fibre infrastructure across the MENA region by Ooredoo Group. Since its inception, the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition has secured over 1,000 pledges from 149 countries, featuring investments in digital infrastructure, policy modernization, capacity-building initiatives, and innovative technologies designed to connect the hardest-to-reach populations.

By including existing projects alongside new ones, Partner2Connect enables governments, companies, and NGOs to align their ongoing work with the coalition's mission and showcase their contributions through regular updates. Overall, ITU estimates that achieving universal, meaningful connectivity by 2030 could require $2.6 trillion to $2.8 trillion. Every effort to advance digital inclusion matters. ITU calls on the public and private sectors to scale up their commitments through P2C and help connect a quarter of the world's population still unconnected. Looking ahead, Partner2Connect will continue to mobilize resources, foster innovative partnerships, and track progress to ensure pledges deliver tangible outcomes for communities worldwide.