Digital Utilities
Supporting urban resilience in low- and middle-income countries by enabling access to essential utility services through digital solutions and innovative partnerships
Our mission is to enable access to affordable, reliable, safe and sustainable urban utility services through digital solutions and innovative partnerships. Inclusive utility services, such as energy, water, sanitation, waste management and transport support urban resilience, which allows cities in low- and middle-income countries to better withstand challenges related to population growth, climate change, and inequality.
The Digital Utilities programme enables digital solutions and partnerships between innovators, mobile operators, government providers of utility services. To achieve our objectives, the programme engages in:
- De-risking and catalysing innovative urban utility services;
- Research and insights;
- Partnership facilitation and convening of key ecosystem stakeholders; and
- Technical advice to mobile operators, municipalities, and utility service providers.
Latest Publications
Digitalising Innovative Finance: Emerging instruments for early-stage innovators in low- and middle-income countries
Tuesday 17 Oct 2023 | Climate | Digital Utilities | Energy | English | Innovation fund and grants | Partnership engagement | Report | Sanitation | South Asia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Transportation and mobility | Water |
This report takes stock of the role digital technologies are playing in crowding in private sector capital through innovative financing mechanisms to social enterprises in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The GSMA Innovation Fund for Digital Urban Services: Portfolio overview
Wednesday 3 May 2023 | Climate | ClimateTech | Digital Utilities | Energy | English | Innovation fund and grants | partnership-hub | Private-Public | Public-Private | Report | Resilient technology | South Asia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Water |
This catalogue profiles the nine organisations accepted into The GSMA Innovation Fund for Digital Urban Services cohort, as well as insights from an analysis of all pitches received.
Powering Mobility: The rise of digital transportation in Africa
Thursday 13 Apr 2023 | Digital Utilities | English | Partnership engagement | Private-Public | Public-Private | Report | Sub-Saharan Africa | Transportation and mobility |
This report outlines the landscape of the transport sector in African cities and the opportunity of digital innovation in transforming the sector.
IoT and Essential Utility Services: Opportunities in low- and middle-income countries
Wednesday 26 Apr 2023 | Case study | Digital Utilities | Energy | English | Partnership engagement | Private-MNO | Private-Public | Public-Private | Report | Sanitation | South Asia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Water |
This report reviews the extent to which 17 key IoT utilities-focused use cases have been deployed across five markets. It assesses the state and maturity of deployments in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, and Nigeria.
