Dell Technologies
A corporate partner since 2021
Dell Technologies is partnering with UNICEF in support of Giga, a UNICEF-ITU joint initiative, to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice.
Only around half of the world’s schools are online and 1.3 billion children do not have access to the internet. Digital exclusion, one of the most important issues of our time, particularly affects the world’s most vulnerable children, such as girls and children with disabilities, limiting their access to learning. Without access to the internet, children are likely to be left behind – with fewer opportunities to learn skills, fulfil their potential and succeed in an increasingly digital world.
To bridge this digital divide for future generations, Dell is supporting Giga, a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every school to the internet.
Dell is helping to accelerate Giga’s work to map and connect schools around the world. As part of the partnership, Dell provides financial support, technology investment, and technical expertise to support Giga in its mission.
Connecting every school to the internet is an ambitious goal, and it starts with locating the schools that are still unconnected. In response to this challenge, Giga has developed AI models, tailored to local contexts, that are capable of accurately determining the precise geographical locations of schools from satellite images. As a result of Dell’s high-performance computing (HPC) technology, mapping efforts are substantially accelerated through high-speed data processing. This innovative solution has already been used in Brazil, Mongolia, and Sudan – with the aim of leveraging these learnings at scale.
For example, the application of Dell’s HPC technology has reduced the time needed to download, process and apply models on satellite imagery from an expected completion time of one year to only six weeks – nearly a nine-time reduction.
As of 2023, Giga has mapped the locations of more than 2 million schools around the world. Giga’s connectivity initiatives have provided governments with innovative tools and approaches, helping connect over 5,700 schools and 2.1 million students in 20 countries to the internet.
To support children across the globe during the back-to-school season, Dell will donate a minimum of $1 million and up to $2.5 million to the initiative.
UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, product or service.
Last updated 1 August 2023
- Project Connect: https://projectconnect.unicef.org/about
- Giga Annual Report 2022: https://giga.global/annualreport2022/
