What happens when people find themselves beyond the last mobile signal, with no road signs, nearby settlements or means of calling for help?

During a journey through a remote desert area of Chad, I encountered a vehicle surrounded by sand, with its passengers dead and almost buried by the desert. Their cause of death was unknown. Inside, we found a handwritten message in Arabic urging the State to provide water points along desert routes lacking network coverage and navigation infrastructure. We used our available equipment to report the vehicle’s location to local authorities.

This experience raises a fundamental question: Who protects those beyond the last signal?

Across the Sahel, isolation and limited infrastructure can turn accidents, breakdowns and medical emergencies into fatal situations. Digital inclusion must go beyond Internet access to encompass human safety, emergency communication and access to assistance.

This workshop will bring together digital rights advocates, policymakers, telecom experts, humanitarian organisations and technology innovators to explore solutions such as satellite connectivity, emergency communication devices, offline mapping, geolocation and strategically located water points.

Through personal testimony, participatory mapping and policy dialogue, participants will develop practical recommendations for safer, more inclusive remote territories.

No one should become invisible simply because they are beyond the reach of a network.