One million schools mapped

UNICEF and ITU's Giga initiative, with support from Ericsson, reaches milestone towards connecting every school to the internet

- Connecting schools to the internet can improve digital access, skills and educational outcomes regardless of geography, with knock-on benefits for society

- School internet connectivity is also linked to GDP - in some countries there is potential to increase GDP by up to 20 percent by connecting schools (source EIU)

- Ericsson calls on industry to join efforts with governments and Giga to close the digital divide and leverage the benefits of global connectivity

KISTA, Sweden, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after Ericsson entered a global partnership with UNICEF to support the Giga Initiative's school connectivity mapping efforts, the initiative has reached a major milestone in mapping the location and connectivity status of one million schools.

Giga - founded by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2019 - aims to connect every school to the internet by 2030 and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice.

Mapping schools is a key pillar of Giga as it helps provide an understanding of the scale of investment, actions and partnerships needed to bridge the digital divide and provide all school children around the world with access to digital learning opportunities.

Ericsson's support for the initiative is in line with the company's vision to create a world in which limitless connectivity improves lives - including school and learning opportunities - redefines business and pioneers a sustainable future.

Over the past year, Ericsson has provided funding and applied data science to help map internet coverage in schools across seven countries. Along with contributions from multiple partners, this has helped Giga accelerate the mapping work and pass the one-million-school milestone. Under the partnership, Ericsson has committed to help map connectivity in schools across 35 countries by the end of 2023, supporting Giga's ambition of mapping every school in the world.

School connectivity breeds opportunity and fosters inclusivity

Giga works on the premise that connecting schools to the internet is one of the most impactful ways of improving life chances. Through school connectivity children have access to a wider pool of information, a range of learning styles and receive a higher standard of education.

The improvement in learning and the understanding of technology which results from an internet-enabled education is vital to improving digital literacy and closing the digital divide. A workforce that has been educated to this higher standard is more likely to be innovative and foster ground-breaking ideas, leading to economic development and job creation.