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Digital Divide Country Profile · Asia

MV

Maldives

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

Location in the world

Maldives

Flag of Maldives

Asia

World map showing the location of MaldivesMaldives
🇲🇻
Population (2024)
527,799
Total area
298 km²
Area in square miles
115.06 mi²
Coastline
644 km
Base map adapted from Wikimedia Commons. Population: World Bank (2024); geography: CIA World Factbook.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Maldives in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Digital Public Infrastructure, Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure, Submarine / International Cable Infrastructure, Digital Identity / e-ID, Submarine Fiber-Optic Cable. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

  1. Digital Public Infrastructure2
  2. Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure2
  3. Submarine / International Cable Infrastructure2
  4. Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure2
  5. Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure1

Specific technologies

  1. Digital Identity / e-ID3
  2. Submarine Fiber-Optic Cable2
  3. Data Center/Centre1
  4. Fiber/Fiber Optic1

Intervention classification

  1. Neither explicitly identified7
  2. Infrastructure only4
  3. Infrastructure and Specific Technology3
  4. Specific Technology only2

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

2 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 0 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

16 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

01

Digital identity infrastructure

CRVSID software and hardware procurement preparation

Implementation / 2026 · National registration system
View details
Status / periodImplementation / 2026LocationNational registration systemPopulationResidents and DNR usersOrganizationsDNR; Maldives Digital Service; D'MADD

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: System requirements; planned software/hardware procurement

Digital Public InfrastructureDigital Identity / e-ID
02

Digital identity and civil registration

CRVSID system modernization

Implementation / 2025-2026 · Nationwide
View details
Status / periodImplementation / 2025-2026LocationNationwidePopulationResidents and registration agenciesOrganizationsDepartment of National Registration; D'MADD; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Secure interoperable CRVS/ID software and hardware

Digital Identity / e-ID
03

Broadband quality monitoring / consumer protection

D'MADD Fixed Broadband QoS/QoE Monitoring System

Procurement in 2026 · National fixed broadband networks
View details
Status / periodProcurement in 2026LocationNational fixed broadband networksPopulationHouseholds and businesses using fixed broadbandOrganizationsCommunications Authority of Maldives; D'MADD PMU; World Bank

Creates independent measurement of throughput, latency, availability and user experience, supporting better service quality and accountability.

Activities and approach: Software-based QoS/QoE measurement; performance monitoring; reporting.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure
04

Consumer broadband monitoring

D'MADD Home Broadband Quality Monitoring Application

In design / procurement preparation in 2026 · Households nationwide
View details
Status / periodIn design / procurement preparation in 2026LocationHouseholds nationwidePopulationHome broadband users, including residents of outer islandsOrganizationsCommunications Authority of Maldives; D'MADD; World Bank

Supports transparent measurement of actual home broadband performance and helps regulators identify quality gaps.

Activities and approach: Home broadband monitoring application; QoS data; regulator capacity.

05

Broadband competition, digital infrastructure and inclusion

Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization and Diversification (D'MADD)

2022 onward · National, including outer atolls
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Status / period2022 onwardLocationNational, including outer atollsPopulationCitizens, businesses, government and residents of outer islandsOrganizationsGovernment of Maldives; Communications Authority of Maldives; World Bank

Improves broadband-market competition and digital foundations in a country where affordability and quality gaps are pronounced outside Malé.

Activities and approach: Broadband regulation; digital ID; data governance; cybersecurity; climate-data platforms.

Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
06

Digital identity

eFaas Digital Identity private-sector expansion

Legislative / implementation 2026 · Nationwide
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Status / periodLegislative / implementation 2026LocationNationwidePopulationCitizens and private-sector service usersOrganizationsMaldives Digital Service; D'MADD

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Digital Identity Bill enabling wider private-sector eFaas use

Digital Identity / e-ID
07

Consumer broadband transparency

Home broadband quality monitoring application

Terms of reference finalised / 2026 · Nationwide
View details
Status / periodTerms of reference finalised / 2026LocationNationwidePopulationHome broadband usersOrganizationsCAM; D'MADD

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Consumer-facing broadband quality measurement app

08

National digital infrastructure modernization

Maldives 2.0 – Secure & Sovereign Digital Infrastructure Pillar

2025–2028 roadmap · Across all islands
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Status / period2025–2028 roadmapLocationAcross all islandsPopulationCitizens, businesses and public-service usersOrganizationsGovernment of Maldives; Maldives Digital Service

Places secure national digital infrastructure within a whole-of-country plan intended to make digital services and opportunity available to every Maldivian across every island.

Activities and approach: Digital infrastructure; digital public services; identity; data exchange; cybersecurity.

Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
09

Digital public infrastructure

Maldives Data Exchange (MDX) national interoperability platform

Procurement August 2026 · Whole of government
View details
Status / periodProcurement August 2026LocationWhole of governmentPopulationCitizens, businesses and agenciesOrganizationsMaldives Digital Service; D'MADD; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Provision, customization, implementation and integration of MDX

Digital Public Infrastructure
10

Government digital skills / implementation capacity

Maldives Digital Summit technical implementation workshops

Implemented April 2026 · National government
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Status / periodImplemented April 2026LocationNational governmentPopulationDigital Transformation Officers and public agenciesOrganizationsMaldives Digital Service; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Service design, cybersecurity, data governance and MDX workshops

Education
11

Submarine fiber backbone and island connectivity resilience

Maldives Eight-Island Submarine Cable System

Completed / operational infrastructure · Eight Maldivian islands
View details
Status / periodCompleted / operational infrastructureLocationEight Maldivian islandsPopulationIsland residents, businesses, public services, and local telecommunications operatorsOrganizationsHMN Tech; Maldivian telecommunications operatorsFunding300 kilometers of submarine cable across eight islands; cost not stated

Expands high-speed coverage and network resilience across geographically separated island communities.

Activities and approach: Engineer and deliver 300 kilometers of submarine cable connecting eight islands

Submarine / International Cable InfrastructureFiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
Xinhua. (2025, March 25). China bridging digital divide with submarine cables. https://english.news.cn/20250325/37729e323d974b8a9b076d1666907447/c.htmlOpen supporting source ↗
12

Climate digital services

MDX climate-data first priority use case

Implementation planning / 2026 · Whole of government
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Status / periodImplementation planning / 2026LocationWhole of governmentPopulationCommunities, planners and climate-service usersOrganizationsMaldives Digital Service; D'MADD; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Cross-government data exchange with climate-related first use case

13

Digital trust and data protection

Privacy and Data Protection Bill enabling D'MADD investments

Legislative / 2025-2026 · Nationwide
View details
Status / periodLegislative / 2025-2026LocationNationwidePopulationAll digital-service usersOrganizationsGovernment of Maldives; D'MADD; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Privacy/data-protection legal framework

14

Telecom regulatory capacity

QoS certification and regulator/ISP capacity-building program

Planned / 2026 · Nationwide
View details
Status / periodPlanned / 2026LocationNationwidePopulationCAM staff, ISPs and consumersOrganizationsCAM; D'MADD; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Recognised QoS certification and technical training

Education
15

Broadband quality monitoring

QoS monitoring equipment procurement

Second procurement round / 2026 · Nationwide
View details
Status / periodSecond procurement round / 2026LocationNationwidePopulationBroadband consumers and regulatorOrganizationsCommunications Authority of Maldives; D'MADD

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Network quality measurement equipment

16

International submarine broadband capacity

SEA-ME-WE 6 Maldives Cable Connection

Financing announced 2022; deployment program · Maldives to Europe/Asia via Middle East
View details
Status / periodFinancing announced 2022; deployment programLocationMaldives to Europe/Asia via Middle EastPopulationNational internet users, including islands dependent on limited international capacityOrganizationsDhiraagu; Asian Development Bank

Adds international submarine cable capacity and supports network upgrades, improving reliability, competition and broadband capacity.

Activities and approach: SEA-ME-WE 6 submarine cable; network capacity upgrades; data center/mobile enhancements.

Submarine / International Cable InfrastructureData Center / Cloud InfrastructureSubmarine Fiber-Optic CableData Center/Centre

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Maldives. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/maldives/
  2. International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
  3. World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Maldives. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=MV
  4. World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Maldives. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=MV

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