Facebook is trying to reach 3.5 billion people all over the world who don’t have a reliable access to the internet
On April 22 social network announced its partnership with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center and NetHope. Together, the companies aim to help the communities most affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
Information Technology Disaster Resource Center is is a non-profit public charity comprised of Volunteer Technology Professionals who assist Communities with Technology Continuity and Recovery after a disaster. NetHope, Inc. is a consortium of nearly 60 global nonprofit organizations that said to improve IT connectivity among humanitarian organizations in developing countries and areas affected by disaster.
According to the Facebook, “The goal of these partnerships is to better understand the unique barriers these communities face in getting online and create the programs and infrastructure needed to increase the availability and affordability of high-quality internet access.”
Across the USA, around 18 million of people have no stable Internet access. Facebook plans to help them by investing $2 million into ITDRC’s projectConnect. Th goal of the project is to provide rural and disadvantaged American communities.
“Facebook has been an integral partner for NetHope’s Disaster Preparedness and Response program,” notes Brent Carbno, NetHope’s managing director of Global Programs in the company’s blog. “In addition to supporting NetHope’s COVID-19 response, Facebook has been instrumental in supporting NetHope’s Venezuelan Migrant Response program, providing Wi-Fi connectivity for more than half-a-million migrants along the migrant path in Colombia, Peru, and other South and Latin American countries. This partnership has been vital to the success in these responses and has provided life-saving connectivity and information for countless migrants, disaster survivors, and people in need around the globe.”
Facebook will also share its disease prevention maps with ITDRC and NetHope, allowing companies gain better understanding of the situation and available solutions. Facebook will also provide NetHope with a $260,000 grant.
“Connectivity is at the heart of Facebook’s mission of giving people the power to build community and bring the world closer together,” commented Dan Rabinovitsj, Vice President of Facebook Connectivity.
