diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ar/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/ar/connectivity.json
index 2d5402e9d..66f2ceb89 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ar/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ar/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "الريف",
     "source": "المسح NFHS-5 (2019–2021)، الأشخاص من 15 إلى 49 عامًا: نسبة من سبق لهم استخدام الإنترنت. مسح للأشخاص، لا عدد للاشتراكات.",
     "missing": "لا توجد بعد حدود ولاية لـ {names}: أرقامها موجودة في البيانات، لا على الخريطة."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "جارٍ رسم الخريطة…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/de/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/de/connectivity.json
index 7d755ea09..782e6297e 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/de/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/de/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Land",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), Personen im Alter von 15–49 Jahren: Anteil derer, die das Internet schon einmal genutzt haben. Eine Befragung von Menschen, keine Zählung von Anschlüssen.",
     "missing": "Noch keine Staatsgrenze für {names}: Ihre Werte stehen in den Daten, nicht auf der Karte."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Karte wird gezeichnet…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/en/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/en/connectivity.json
index fb72fdf42..4839f85f5 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/en/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/en/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rural",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), people aged 15–49: the share who have ever used the internet. A survey of people, not a count of subscriptions.",
     "missing": "No state boundary yet for {names}: their figures are in the data, not on the map."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Drawing the map…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/es/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/es/connectivity.json
index 5a68d35e5..f455b7168 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/es/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/es/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rural",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), personas de 15 a 49 años: proporción que ha usado internet alguna vez. Una encuesta a personas, no un recuento de suscripciones.",
     "missing": "Aún no hay límite estatal para {names}: sus cifras están en los datos, no en el mapa."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Dibujando el mapa…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/fr/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/fr/connectivity.json
index 71488ebbe..189281d3e 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/fr/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/fr/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rural",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), personnes de 15 à 49 ans : part de celles qui ont déjà utilisé Internet. Une enquête auprès des personnes, pas un décompte d’abonnements.",
     "missing": "Pas encore de limite d’État pour {names} : leurs chiffres figurent dans les données, pas sur la carte."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Tracé de la carte…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/hi/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/hi/connectivity.json
index 49202a9be..bb0605a33 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/hi/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/hi/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "ग्रामीण",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), 15–49 वर्ष के लोग: जिन्होंने कभी इंटरनेट का उपयोग किया है उनका प्रतिशत। यह लोगों का सर्वेक्षण है, सब्सक्रिप्शन की गिनती नहीं।",
     "missing": "{names} की राज्य सीमा अभी उपलब्ध नहीं है: उनके आँकड़े डेटा में हैं, नक्शे पर नहीं।"
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "मानचित्र बनाया जा रहा है…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/it/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/it/connectivity.json
index e527d6de5..706246914 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/it/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/it/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rurale",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), persone di 15–49 anni: quota di chi ha mai usato internet. Un’indagine sulle persone, non un conteggio di abbonamenti.",
     "missing": "Ancora nessun confine statale per {names}: i loro dati sono nel dataset, non sulla mappa."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Disegno della mappa…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/pt/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/pt/connectivity.json
index c319ee630..8a150d3fd 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/pt/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/pt/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rural",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), pessoas de 15 a 49 anos: proporção que já usou a internet. Uma pesquisa com pessoas, não uma contagem de assinaturas.",
     "missing": "Ainda não há limite estadual para {names}: os números estão nos dados, não no mapa."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Desenhando o mapa…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ro/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/ro/connectivity.json
index 7fad2d97e..f71ae3139 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ro/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ro/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Rural",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), persoane de 15–49 de ani: ponderea celor care au folosit vreodată internetul. Un sondaj despre oameni, nu o numărătoare de abonamente.",
     "missing": "Încă nu există limită de stat pentru {names}: cifrele lor sunt în date, nu pe hartă."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Se desenează harta…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ru/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/ru/connectivity.json
index aa89b1cec..b7f652740 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ru/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ru/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "Село",
     "source": "NFHS-5 (2019–21), люди 15–49 лет: доля тех, кто когда-либо пользовался интернетом. Опрос людей, а не подсчёт подписок.",
     "missing": "Для {names} ещё нет границы штата: их данные есть в таблице, но не на карте."
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "Отрисовка карты…"
 }
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/zh/connectivity.json b/library/i18n/locales/zh/connectivity.json
index 7666f9290..2aa6d0833 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/zh/connectivity.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/zh/connectivity.json
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
     "rural": "农村",
     "source": "NFHS-5（2019–21），15–49 岁人群：曾经使用过互联网的比例。这是对人的调查，而不是订阅数统计。",
     "missing": "{names} 尚无邦界：其数据在数据集中，但未显示在地图上。"
-  }
+  },
+  "loading": "正在绘制地图…"
 }
diff --git a/plugin-designs/cities-internet/connectivity-map.vue b/plugin-designs/cities-internet/connectivity-map.vue
index d62361533..71a311d09 100644
--- a/plugin-designs/cities-internet/connectivity-map.vue
+++ b/plugin-designs/cities-internet/connectivity-map.vue
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ const rows = ref([])
 const selected = ref(null)
 const aiNoticeOpen = ref(true)   // dismissible AI-research disclaimer in the detail sheet
 const err = ref(null)
+// Starts TRUE: the notice must be on screen for the first frame, not switched on after a tick. rega
+// measured 7-30s to the first data paint, and for that whole window the map was an empty basemap with
+// nothing to say it was still working — indistinguishable from a broken embed.
+const loading = ref(true)
 // India by state (data/tables/internet-by-adm1.json, NFHS-5): the one country with sub-national data.
 const adm1 = shallowRef(null)          // { meta, byArea: { [adm1]: { name, women: {total,urban,rural}, men: {…} } } }
 const adm1Sex = ref('women')           // which half of the survey the fill shows; both are in the sheet
@@ -438,8 +442,13 @@ onMounted(async () => {
       paintGroups(map)
       const geo = await adm1Loaded
       if (geo && !unmounted) paintAdm1(map, geo)
+      // ★ CLEARED HERE, NOT ON 'load'. rega measured 7-30s from mount to the first data paint under
+      // SwiftShader: the style fires 'load' early, while the shaded countries, the adm1 provinces and
+      // the 2,105 dots all arrive later. Clearing on 'load' would retire the notice during exactly the
+      // wait it exists to explain, leaving the reader with an empty basemap and no reason for it.
+      loading.value = false
     })
-  } catch (e) { err.value = String(e.message || e) }
+  } catch (e) { err.value = String(e.message || e); loading.value = false }
 })
 onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   // ★ RELEASE THE TEST HOOKS. Each pins whatever it closes over — a map instance pins its
@@ -462,6 +471,14 @@ const fmt = (n) => (Number(n) || 0).toLocaleString()
 const groupOpen = computed(() => !!uiStore?.selectedPeopleGroup)
 
 useShadowStyles(
+  // ⚠ THE MAP MUST FILL ITS HOST, NOT THE VIEWPORT. This element had NO :host rule at all, so a
+  // custom element defaults to display:inline with no height of its own, and .gm's absolute inset:0
+  // resolved against whatever ancestor happened to be positioned. rega measured the result in the
+  // /embed-test re-shoot at 1440: a 1198x900 canvas inside a 1198x560 embed card — ~340px, the
+  // attribution among it, drawn below the card and clipped. Same class as the board's, and the same
+  // fix it already carries: height:100% so a height-bounded slot decides, min-height as a floor so an
+  // AUTO-height host still gets a usable map instead of a zero-height one that renders nothing.
+  ':host{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:420px}' +
   '.gm{position:absolute;inset:0;overflow:hidden}' +
   '.gm-map{position:absolute;inset:0}' +
   // LEGEND: a BOUNDED, left-anchored panel — NOT a full-width strip.
@@ -523,6 +540,9 @@ useShadowStyles(
   '.gm-list ul{margin:0;padding-left:17px;font-size:12px;line-height:1.5}' +
   '.gm-note{margin-top:9px;font-size:11px;line-height:1.5;opacity:.75}' +
   '.gm-err{position:absolute;top:50%;left:0;right:0;text-align:center;font-size:13px;opacity:.7}' +
+  // Same geometry as .gm-err so the two never disagree about where a message belongs. inset-inline,
+  // not left/right: this string is translated, and under ar it reads from the other edge.
+  '.gm-wait{position:absolute;top:50%;inset-inline:0;text-align:center;font-size:13px;opacity:.7}' +
   '.gm-dot{width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;flex:none;box-sizing:border-box;border:1.5px solid #fff;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px rgba(0,0,0,.25)}' +
   // The group panel uses Prayer Progress's two wrappers, switched at the same breakpoint.
   '.gm-pg-mobile{display:none}' +
@@ -576,7 +596,11 @@ useShadowStyles(
       </div>
     </div>
 
+    <!-- An error REPLACES the wait, never stacks on it: v-else-if, so a failed load does not leave
+         "still drawing" sitting under an error message contradicting it. role=status, not alert —
+         this is progress, and a screen reader should hear it without being interrupted. -->
     <div v-if="err" class="gm-err">{{ err }}</div>
+    <div v-else-if="loading" class="gm-wait" role="status">{{ t('connectivity.loading') }}</div>
 
     <!-- A tapped people-group dot: the same PeopleGroupDetail panel Prayer Progress opens. -->
     <div v-if="groupOpen" class="gm-pg-desktop">