Giga – connect every school to the internet

Giga is already one of the most impactful UN initiatives of all time, with 2.4 million students connected to the internet globally in only three years.  

Giga is a global UNICEF and ITU (International Telecom Union) initiative to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice. 

1.3 billion children have no access to the Internet at home, and only around half of the world’s schools are online. This digital exclusion particularly affects the poorest, girls and those with disabilities. It causes learners to miss out on resources online, the option to learn remotely (e.g. during pandemics or instability), and the opportunity to develop digital skills. UNICEF and ITU have therefore joined forces to create Giga, an initiative to address inequality and connect every school in the world to the Internet.

Only by working together can we make this happen: Giga welcomes engagement from multi-national corporations, national companies and small to medium-sized businesses, technology providers, donors, and finance experts.

First, we map, then we build infrastructure

• Giga maps schools’ Internet access. No one knows how many schools there are in the world (estimate: 6-7 million). This is why Giga’s Project Connect map provides a real-time display of access. To date, Giga has mapped over 2.1 million schools in 140 countries.
• Giga creates models for innovative financing. The initiative has already secured the support of 15 partners to develop solutions for affordable, sustainable connectivity.
• Giga helps governments design the regulatory frameworks and competitive procurement processes needed to get schools online. Since 2019, Giga and its partners have connected over 2.4 million students in over 5,800 schools.

To help reach its ambitious goals, Giga needs:

• Engagement and leadership from multi-national corporations, national companies, small to medium-sized businesses, foundations, and major donors; 
• Both governments and technology companies to share data sets to help with open source mapping;
• Governments to join the 30 countries already connecting schools as part of the Giga initiative and to work with Giga to implement the regulatory changes needed to allow universal connectivity and infrastructure innovations to thrive.

Giga seeks donations from multi-national corporations, national companies and small to medium-sized businesses, foundations, and major donors:

Switzerland is proud to host the Giga Headquarters in Geneva. In supporting Giga, Switzerland is at the forefront of building a global community of purpose and improving connectivity worldwide. Strategically located in Geneva, Giga’s HQ is also in close proximity to relevant UN organizations. 

Spain is the second host country. Giga’s Technology Center is located in Barcelona, close to technology partners and important tech events.

Partners: Ericsson, Musk Foundation, IHS, Dubai Cares, Dell Technology, Actual, BCG, nic.br cgi.br, GSMA, SoftBank, Meta, Liquid, Jumia, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Government of Latvia.

For more information about Giga, please visit:

• Giga Homepage
• Unicef Global Giga Page

More stories about innovative UNICEF solutions

Capturing stories, resources, and ideas about UNICEF initiatives making an impact around the world: 

• https://www.unicef.org/innovation/stories