Swedish telecom company Ericsson and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced a global partnership Wednesday to help map school Internet connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Mapping the Internet connectivity landscape for schools and their surrounding communities is a critical first step toward providing every child with access to digital learning opportunities, said UNICEF in a press release.
In addition to funding, Ericsson will commit 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, it said.
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.
This joint effort is part of the "Giga" initiative. Launched last year and led by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Giga aims to connect every school to the Internet.
According to the ITU, 360 million young people currently do not have access to the Internet. This results in exclusion, fewer resources to learn, and limited opportunities for the most vulnerable children and youth to fulfill their potential.