World Bank Global Digital Summit Cites Electricity as Great Need to Build Out the Digital Gulag

by Tim Hinchcliffe | The Sociable

Discussions at the World Bank Global Digital Summit conclude that everybody needs electricity and internet connectivity in order to install Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

In what was basically a regurgitation of last year’s UN Summit of the Future, the opening day of the World Bank Global Digital Summit 2025 included many of the same players echoing the same talking points about digital ID being central to DPI and overall digital transformation.

Giving the opening remarks today, World Bank vice president for digital transformation Sangbu Kim said that the World Bank Group was investing in constructing DPI (digital ID, fast payment systems, and data exchanges) all around the world, especially in developing countries.

“We’re strongly focusing on building Digital Public Infrastructure, so billions of people without access to digital ID, digital payments, and secure data sharing can fully participate in the digital economy”

Sangbu Kim, World Bank Global Digital Summit, March 2025

“We’re strongly focusing on building Digital Public Infrastructure, so billions of people without access to digital ID, digital payments & secure data sharing can fully participate in the digital economy” Sangbu Kim, World Bank VP of Digital Transformation #WBGDigitalSummit pic.twitter.com/gEYucsKfdV

— Tim Hinchliffe (@TimHinchliffe) March 18, 2025

Just like at the UN Summit of the Future last September, today’s World Bank summit placed heavy emphasis on the desire to bring internet to the 2.6 billion people who are currently without it.

Without internet connectivity, there can be no DPI. But first, there can be no internet connectivity without electricity. Read Full Article >