Google, Apple to launch a $1bn PPP program to help the world’s most disadvantaged countries expand their internet coverage
Google and Apple are set to launch an internet-focused program to provide access to affordable and fast internet to poor countries, according to an announcement by Google.
The initiative will allow poor countries to offer a faster internet connection than the US and Europe.
“There are so many countries where the internet is really not available, they’re in dire need,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai told the BBC on Thursday.
“So I think that we can do something to help them, and we can help them more than ever before, which is to build infrastructure that allows them to be more connected.”
Pichai’s announcement comes just a day after Google launched a $3bn initiative aimed at helping poor countries connect to the internet.
The Google program will be managed by the US-based Global Digital Index Alliance, which aims to create a network of internet providers across the world, including governments, telecoms companies, tech companies, media companies and aid organisations.
“We’re going to have the first of those projects launched in the next two months, so you’re going.
We are very excited about this,” Pichari said.”
I think the biggest lesson is to have a vision.
And we see the world as a global village, and I think the people have a very strong vision that they want to see the internet grow, and that is something that I think we need to be able to help with.”
The Google initiative will also work to improve access to services for those who can’t afford to buy internet service themselves.
The goal is to create an infrastructure for the poorest countries to access the internet that is as fast as the world average, and in many cases more reliable than the world averages.
“The basic idea is to give these poor people access to fast, reliable internet, and so it can be a very efficient way to do business,” said David Gandy, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“It’s also something that can be scaled to any country, so if we can make it happen globally, that’s great, but it’s also important to look at how you do that locally.”
While Google has been investing in internet infrastructure, the company has also been looking to expand its internet reach into other areas.
In September, the internet giant unveiled a new program aimed at developing internet services that would allow people to connect to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media services.
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