木瓜影院

In 2025, most people around the world could not imagine life without access to the internet. But in mountainous regions of Georgia like Racha, many residents were still struggling to get online. Until recently, internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile operators in the area relied on low quality and capacity radio-based technologies to access main broadband networks. As a result, service was slow, unreliable, or entirely nonexistent, on both mobile and home internet connections.

The absence of reliable digital access has contributed to an exodus, especially of young people from remote regions seeking better opportunities, services, and jobs. Their departure has only deepened Georgia’s rural-urban divide and drained the economic potential of mountainous places like Racha.

Log-in Georgia: Creating Opportunity

Thanks to , a project launched in 2020 with World Bank support to assist the State Program for Broadband Infrastructure Development, this is beginning to change.

Access to reliable, high-speed internet has rapidly expanded in the country’s mountainous areas over the last five years. Carried out by , which is responsible for developing open-access fiber-optic infrastructure under the oversight of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, over 90,000 people, as well as 104 schools, were connected to broadband through ISPs and mobile operators using the Open Net network as of July 1, 2025.

Racha was falling behind, with no local ISP providing fiber-based broadband services. With access to the Open Net network across the region, RachaNet was established to fill this key gap in the market. Founded by three young friends originally from Racha, who had long sought a way to reconnect with their roots, the enterprise was born out of both necessity and passion. Today, their mission has grown beyond connectivity: attracting new and former residents back to the region is now their primary focus.

“Since our company was founded, many locals have returned to the region because now they can work remotely and also find other job opportunities thanks to the improved internet. Whatever income they earn is spent here, which directly benefits the local economy,” stressed Akaki Gurgenidze, one of the founders of the local ISP RachaNet.

Leaving No One Behind

The retiree Ketevan Sharabidze-Agladze, the first person to open a guesthouse in Sadmeli village in Racha, will soon become one Log-in Georgia’s new beneficiaries. Access to high-quality internet would be a boon for her business: “I rely on platforms like Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook, so if there’s no internet, my work comes to a halt. When I saw workers laying cables underground, I asked what was going on. They told me we were going to have better internet. It’s great for me and my business. With high quality internet, I can smoothly share my Reels, short videos, and can tell my stories to a wider audience”.

Not only does Log-In Georgia connect remote villages to fiber-optic broadband infrastructure, it also is improving digital literacy in connected communities. Through the project’s Digital Adoption Program (DAP), the conducts digital skills trainings for people from different walks of life. Special attention is given to women-headed households, ethnic and social minorities, the elderly, persons with disabilities, teachers, students, and local entrepreneurs—ensuring everyone benefits from improved digital access.

“Young people—or digital natives—adapt to modern technologies more easily. But adults, like teachers for instance, often need a bit more explanation. I try to provide all the necessary information in a language they understand, avoiding technical terms like “domains” and “browsers” that sound overwhelming,” explained Mindia Salukvadze, a trainer through DAP. He helps participants understand both the opportunities and risks of being online, especially how to avoid scams and misinformation. “I teach them how to think critically in the digital world, encouraging them to approach everything they encounter online with ten times the caution they would in real life.”

Closing the digital access divide through the Log-in Georgia Project marks a vital first step in the country’s digital development.  Georgia needs to fully bridge these gaps and move beyond expanding internet access by further investing in infrastructure, digital IDs, relevant online services, and digital skills to support broader digital adoption. Doing so will help the country remain competitive in the global economy and help create new and more productive jobs and opportunities for all Georgians.