Georgia has once again improved its score in the Internet Freedom Ranking and is the leader among the Eurasian countries in terms of internet freedom and protection of user rights. With a score of 76 points, Georgia maintains its Free Country status alongside leading developed nations such as Australia, United States and Italy, and ahead of Japan, Argentina and some EU member countries. According to the Freedom House report, Georgia improved its score by 1 point compared to the previous year, advanced three places in the global rankings, and now occupies the 7^th place.

The Freedom House report presents Georgia as an example for improving the figures for internet freedom during the pandemic. The report also talks about the platform www.sheamotsme.ge, which was established by the Communications Commission to allow users to test the quality of their internet connection 24 hours a day.

The report devotes considerable attention to the development of the telecommunications sector and the existing trends in this field, according to which, access to internet continues to grow in Georgia. There were approximately 921,000 fixed broadband connections in May 2020, an increase from 784,000 two years earlier. The report also states that the quality of fixed and mobile internet services is improving.

The Freedom House report mentions the five-year strategy for the development of broadband networks, which aims to develop infrastructure and transform the country into a digital and information hub in the region. The report outlines that the strategy seeks to stimulate competition, attract new investment, and develop digital skills. According to the report, 3G and 4G services have been widely accessible to the public during the reporting period. By 2025, 4G networks are to cover 99 percent of the country’s territory, while 5G services are to be piloted in at least three municipalities. The report also mentions that the Communications Commission has approved a 5G development strategy, and will be allocating radio frequencies for 5G networks from 2020.

The Freedom House report states that the government did not impose any restrictions on connectivity during the reporting period, and that users could freely access all online platforms and communications.

The report also mentions the new regulation adopted by the Communications Commission that obliges large ISPs operating fiber-optic networks to allow small and medium ISPs to access their infrastructure. According to Freedom House, this decision will encourage competition on the market and significantly reduce the service prices.