Meta & Internet Society: Global Internet for All!
Guess what? Meta (you know, the folks behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is joining forces with the Internet Society to make internet access more affordable and widespread around the globe! They've just unveiled the Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, and it sounds pretty awesome.
Think of it as a $30 million investment, stretching all the way to 2030, dedicated to building internet infrastructure in communities that have been, well, left behind. We're talking about areas often overlooked by the big commercial internet providers. But it's not just about laying cables and setting up towers.
The initiative also focuses on training programs to boost tech skills in these communities, supporting local solutions for underserved areas, and empowering locally owned networks to create jobs. It's all about sustainable, community-driven connectivity!
This isn't the first time Meta and the Internet Society have collaborated. They've previously worked together to improve internet connectivity in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America by developing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). These IXPs are basically physical hubs where different internet providers can exchange data traffic, making things faster and more efficient.
And here's the cool part: Meta is just the first partner in this Co-Funding Initiative. The Internet Society is actively seeking more partners to help grow the fund and expand its impact. As Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society, puts it, this initiative is "a prime example of collective action that will help provide meaningful access to more than 2 billion people across the world with insufficient or no Internet." She hopes the fund will play a key role in creating a more equitable digital society. Pretty inspiring stuff!
Source: Engadget