When I think about the Digital Solomon Islands, a lower middle-income country in Oceania, a few things come to mind. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) and a Least Developed Country (LDC), the Solomon Islands faces challenges that significantly impact its digital government progress. It’s a reality that these types of countries often have lower E-Government Development Index (EGDI) values. This lower ranking is largely due to a combination of limited resources, geographical isolation, and infrastructure constraints.
There are many competing priorities, such as healthcare, education, and basic utilities. As a result, investments in digital infrastructure can sometimes take a backseat. This financial constraint also affects the ability to attract and retain skilled professionals who can drive digital transformation.
Additionally… the Solomon Islands (like many SIDS and LDCs) struggles with human capital development. While there is no shortage of talent and potential, there often isn’t enough access to quality education and training in digital skills.
Solomon Islands lags behind other countries in the region
With low Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) and middle Online Service Index (OSI) values, the Solomon Islands is struggling to keep up with other countries in the region.
To clarify, TII stands for Telecommunication Infrastructure Index, which is a part of the United Nations metrics to assess a country’s readiness and capacity to support digital services. OSI, on the other hand, stands for Online Service Index, which measures the scope and quality of online services provided by the government. Both indices are integral components of the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI).
According to the UN E-government Knowledgebase, the Solomon Islands ranked 165th in e-governance and 153rd in e-participation back in 2022 (which is the most recent report available.) It’s worth noting that the Solomon Islands improved their ranking by one place for e-governance and by two places for e-participation. While these are modest gains, they signal some progress and potential for continued improvement. Yet, despite these incremental advancements, the Solomon Islands remains one of the least developed countries in Oceania regarding e-government progress, only surpassing Papua New Guinea.
A World Bank report from 2023 paints a similar picture. It categorizes digital Solomon Islands as having “some focus on GovTech,” placing it in group strategy C (with D being the lowest) within the East Asia and Pacific region. This classification shows the ongoing challenges and the relatively low prioritization of digital government technologies in the national strategy.
The state of connectivity in digital Solomon Islands in 2024
At the start of 2024 there were 336.5 thousand internet users, representing an internet penetration rate of 45.0%. While nearly half of the population had access to the internet, this figure also starkly highlighted the digital divide, as 55.0% of the population… equivalent to 412.0 thousand people… remained offline.
This disparity indicates significant challenges in achieving comprehensive digital inclusion.
From the perspective of e-government, this gap is both a critical obstacle AND a call to action. The Solomon Islands cannot afford to leave more than half of its population behind in an increasingly digital world. The Internet is not merely a tool for communication or entertainment; it is an essential gateway to services, information, and opportunities that can uplift communities and drive national development.
Consequently, bridging this digital divide should be a top priority for the government. Without widespread internet access, efforts to digitize public services will inevitably fall short of their potential impact.
Moreover, the active cellular mobile connections in the Solomon Islands, totalling 537.2 thousand and covering 71.8% of the population, present an interesting contrast. While mobile penetration is relatively high, it does not automatically translate into internet usage. This indicates that many mobile users are not utilizing their devices for online activities, possibly due to issues such as high data costs, limited network coverage, or a lack of digital literacy. Addressing these barriers is important as well.
The progress of digital transformation
Back in 2020, the country made a strategic decision to leverage data by using UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economy Scorecard (IDES) to gain a better understanding of its digital economy’s development and inclusiveness. This tool provided an invaluable snapshot of where the country stood/stands and highlights areas that need attention. As the first country in the Pacific to adopt this tool, the Solomon Islands demonstrated a pioneering spirit in assessing and driving its digital economy.
At the end of 2020, the Digital Economy Score (DES) was 39%, firmly placing Solomon Islands in the Start-Up stage (of a digital economy.) By the end of 2022, they saw a slight increase to 42%. This incremental progress, though modest, signifies a continued effort and determination to build a digital economy.
With a 56% score in government’s focus on policy and regulation it’s also clear that key policy and regulatory gaps remain, which need to be addressed. Using the data from the IDES, they updated the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) in 2021. This update was crucial as it aligned their financial inclusion efforts with the current realities and future aspirations of a digital economy.
However, it’s not enough to be first in collecting data. We must know how to use the information extracted from this data to drive the country forward. This means not just identifying gaps but actively working to fill them. It involves creating policies that are not just well-intentioned but also effective and adaptable to the fast-paced changes in the digital world.
Final thoughts
The Solomon Islands should continue to build on this momentum by focusing on targeted interventions that address specific areas of need. Enhancing digital literacy and infrastructure, improving internet accessibility, and fostering public-private partnerships can significantly accelerate the digital economy’s growth.
Sources:
https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/en-us/Data/Country-Information/id/157-Solomon-Islands
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-solomon-islands?rq=solomon
https://www.mobileconnectivityindex.com/index.html#year=2022&zoneIsocode=SLB https://ides.uncdf.org/2022/SLB
https://pressroom.ifc.org/all/pages/PressDetail.aspx?ID=28100
