STOCKHOLM and GENEVA — Ericsson and UNICEF today announced a global partnership to help map school connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023.
This joint effort is part of the Giga initiative, launched last year and led by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which aims to connect every school to the Internet. Mapping the Internet connectivity landscape for schools and their surrounding communities, and identifying connectivity gaps, is a critical first step toward providing every child with access to digital learning opportunities, says the news release.
According to the ITU, 360 million young people currently do not have access to the Internet.
“The deepening digital divide is one of the many inequalities that the Covid-19 pandemic has underscored,” said Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, deputy executive director of partnerships for UNICEF, in the release. “School closures, coupled with limited or non-existent opportunities for remote learning, have upended children’s education worldwide. Our partnership with Ericsson will bring us closer to giving every child and young person access to digital learning opportunities.”
Ericsson is the first private-sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to the initiative. The amount of its investment was not disclosed in the news release. In addition to funding, Ericsson is committing resources for data engineering and data science capacity to accelerate school connectivity mapping.
Specifically, Ericsson will assist with the collection, validation, analysis, monitoring and visual representation of real-time school connectivity data. The data generated through the mapping will enable governments and the private sector to design and deploy digital solutions that enable learning for children and young people, says the release. Ericsson says it will also engage its extensive customer base to further advance the goals of the Giga initiative.
“Ericsson is uniquely positioned to be a key partner in helping address this important issue due to our technology expertise, global scale, decades of experience in public/private partnerships, and proven results connecting students and educators,” said Heather Johnson, vice-president of sustainability and corporate responsibility at Ericsson. “Working together with partners, like UNICEF and the ITU, amplifies the potential impact of school connectivity and is a concrete first step in helping bridge the digital divide globally.”
“ITU brings a history of technology policy advocacy and regulatory expertise to the vital mission of connecting every school in the world,” added Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director of ITU’s telecommunication development bureau. “We are thrilled that Ericsson will join Giga and help build the mapping tools necessary to make connecting every school a reality.”
To follow the initiative’s progress and see current school mapping efforts, please visit www.projectconnect.world. For more information about the Giga initiative and how to get involved, visit gigaconnect.org.
