About the data
The WBA Digital Inclusion Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to advance digital inclusion, tracking how companies are expanding access to digital technologies, improving digital skills and literacy, and ensuring safe and inclusive digital environments for all. The 2026 edition assessed 200 companies across key sectors of the digital economy including telecommunications, software, hardware, and digital platforms. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and partners including GRI, ITU, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet, with a methodology designed to incentivise companies to understand where digital exclusion risks are highest and act to bridge the digital divide, while keeping human rights and social impacts at its core.
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
Methodology
Digital technology companies can play a critical role in reducing digital inequality and educational disparity, and promote inclusive access to learning. They can make an important contribution to improving school digitalisation as part of a broader commitment to digital skills development and connectivity. This can be done, for example, by promoting access to devices, labs, Internet connection or other connected devices; digital educational technologies; teacher training to integrate digital technologies, etc.
Research Guidance:
The company provides evidence of commitment to school digitalisation through long-term investments, continued programme delivery, and/or institutional mechanisms that ensure continuity and scale over time. To meet this element, the company must provide evidence of one or more of the following:
- evidence that school digitalisation is not treated as a short-term commitment or ad hoc issue, but rather as a core area of sustained social investment;
- evidence of having more than one programme running to support school digitalisation;
- evidence of a multi-year roadmap and dedicated multi-year funding for supporting school digitalisation.
Research Guidance:
The company provides evidence of commitment to school digitalisation through long-term investments, continued programme delivery, and/or institutional mechanisms that ensure continuity and scale over time. To meet this element, the company must provide evidence of one or more of the following:
- evidence that school digitalisation is not treated as a short-term commitment or ad hoc issue, but rather as a core area of sustained social investment;
- evidence of having more than one programme running to support school digitalisation;
- evidence of a multi-year roadmap and dedicated multi-year funding for supporting school digitalisation.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report