27 February 2026

IBM has introduced IBM Sovereign Core, a groundbreaking software foundation designed to embed digital sovereignty controls directly into the architecture of cloud-native and AI workloads. The launch responds to growing concerns over cross-border data access, operational control, and compliance amid escalating geopolitical tensions and increasingly stringent regulatory environments.

As digital sovereignty extends beyond simple data residency, it now encompasses control over infrastructure, software, identity and access management, encryption keys, auditability, and the jurisdiction where AI models are hosted and inference is conducted. IBM Sovereign Core aims to give enterprises, governments, and service providers sovereignty "as an inherent property of the software," allowing them to operate within their own jurisdictional boundaries without relying on overlays or external controls.

27 February 2026

Located between Cameroon and South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) is a country with a rich culture and natural beauty. However, providing reliable broadband communications and Internet connectivity throughout this landlocked country, and between the CAR and the rest of the world, has been challenging for the country’s social and economic development.

Prior to 2017, Orange CAR, one of the largest communications providers serving the CAR, found that delivering reliable services to its customers was problematic. At that time, 2G and 3G mobile services were the norm in the country, and 4G had not yet been deployed. Approximately 2 million residents – just 38% of the population – had mobile service, with 3G penetration accounting for about 60%, with 2G serving the remainder. Only a small fraction – 11% or approximately 600,000 residents – had Internet access, with an average download speed of 22.55Mbps on fixed connections. Orange CAR was able to address these problems and accelerate the deployment of services to the CAR by making use of SES’s multi-orbit network of MEO and GEO satellites.