No Wi-Fi, No Google Maps, No Instagram: The last offline villages in the world where 2.6 billion still wait for internet

Tech has transformed lives across much of the globe, with billions swiping, streaming, and scrolling through life. But for an astonishing 2.6 billion people—nearly a third of the global population—the internet remains out of reach. These individuals live beyond the edge of connectivity, often in remote villages carved into mountains, scattered across deserts, or hidden deep within tropical jungles. In these regions, Wi-Fi is non-existent, smartphones are rare, and the very concept of digital inclusion feels foreign. Despite the internet becoming central to everything from education and banking to health care and disaster response, a vast segment of humanity remains in digital darkness.