Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has expressed its determination to make over 40 million people around the globe access the internet. It has been a long and costly journey bringing internet connectivity to persons from around the globe.
Towards the end of the previous year, almost half of the world population had been connected to the internet. One would have seen this as the achievement of a major milestone. However, critics see the flip side of the whole thing. According to them, it was unfortunate that almost half of the world population wasn’t able to access any sort of internet connectivity.
The turn of events
In 2017, Microsoft unveiled its Airband Initiative in a bid to set up internet connectivity across the United States. The strategy worked well, and now it seeks to employ the same to build up internet connectivity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Market observers have applauded the company for its plan to connect 40 million people to the internet. Microsoft says it is prepared and that by 2022, it will have already achieved its goal. The company has a very clear working guideline, in which case it commences with rural and remote communities. The other regions will be taken care of thereafter.
Microsoft says it will operate through a four-part approach, which will involve joining hands with local ISPs and communities. Most probably, these joint efforts will see the company succeed at building out reliable and pocket-friendly internet access.
Microsoft calls out for co-operation
Microsoft is also appealing to regulators to give it access to TV White Space(TVWS). These are wireless frequencies that Microsoft intends to use in the delivery of the internet over a vast area.
The company’s head of technology and corporate responsibility Shelley McKinley thinks that it is important to close the connectivity gap. The official believes the best way would be to employ a multi-stakeholder approach.
McKinley opined, “A wireless technology or a business model that is suitable for connecting customers in one location might not be suitable for connecting customers in another location.”
Back home, Microsoft will be focusing on building internet access to those that live in rural areas. The company’s spokesperson says they are aiming to deliver high-speed internet connectivity to about 9 million persons in several states. These include Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Illinois.
