Facebook, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Saturday that he will team up with the United Nations to bring Internet to refugee camps, since there is an important need to connect the world.
Since Facebook launched its Internet.org initiative in 2013 in partnership with six companies, the corporation has focused on bringing affordable access to less developed countries, such as Zambia, India, Guatemala and Ghana. This time, Facebook takes refugees into account.
“Connectivity will help refugees’ better access support from the aid community and maintain their links to families,” Zuckerberg said in his address during the United Nations General Assembly, according to The Associated Press.
As stated by Zuckerberg, this service could help United Nations groups to interpret data on a new global development strategy and use the information to track progress toward implementing the development goals.
“Data can help us make smarter decisions, but only if you can interpret it quickly and with confidence, so we want to help the U.N. make decisions that will advance our goals,” he said.
Facebook’s CEO will continue on with his goal to reach 5 billion people who do not have access to the internet, by the year 2020.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates also announced, in the General Assembly, that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the World Bank and World Health Organization to improve performance-tracking of healthcare providers in emerging countries.
Bill and Melinda Gates, Charlize Theron, Bono, Ariana Huffington and others declared the importance on providing Internet to those who have been left behind since it is an “essential service.”
Skeptical thoughts
Although Mark Zuckerberg’s intentions were very applauded, the United Nations remain skeptical about the matter. A recent U.N. report estimates that the world will go from 43.4% connected to 60% by 2021 at the earliest.
“Although strong growth rates continue for mobile broadband and Facebook usage, and mobile cellular subscriptions exceeded 7 billion for the first time during 2015… growth in global mobile cellular subscriptions and growth in Internet usage have slowed sharply,” the report concludes. “We have reached a transition point in the growth of the Internet.”
Source: Aol