South Africa is among the 35 countries that could benefit from an initiative by the United Nations Children’s Fund and a telecommunications company aimed at helping schools with internet connectivity.
The Giga initiative launched in 2019 and led by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union is hailed as a critical first step towards providing every child with access to digital learning opportunities.
Sumana Sarkar, the company’s Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility in the Middle East and Africa says their contribution to the initiative is set out for three years until 2023.
“COVID-19 has exacerbated the need and has put the internet connectivity front and center really. So we believe that being able to map school connectivity is a critical and the first logical first step to be able to give kidz access to digital skills and digital learning which are again critical to the 4IR. So many things will become possible to children who do not have access to internet in their homes or schools.”
The video below is on Ericsson and the UN Children’s Fund partnering to help map school connectivity in 35 countries:
