Microsoft Joins Forces With Viasat to Improve Internet Access to Nigerians, Others

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT) launched a new cooperation on Wednesday to help 10 million people gain access to the internet globally, including 5 million in Africa.

Global communications giant Viasat is the first satellite partner to collaborate with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative. Together, the two organizations will deepen Airband’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States and prioritize expanding the program to Egypt, Senegal, and Angola to provide much-needed internet connection, frequently for the first time.

This groundbreaking international cooperation for Airband is a crucial step toward achieving the Initiative’s extended objective of providing internet connectivity to 250 million people worldwide by the end of 2025, including 100 million individuals on the continent of Africa.

A third of the world’s population, or 2.7 billion people, have never utilized the internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union at the UN. Remote locations that previously had few, if any, choices for conventional connectivity can now access the internet thanks to satellite. Together, the businesses will pool their knowledge and resources to make it possible for telehealth, online education, clean energy, precision agriculture, and other services to reach new audiences through the revolutionary delivery of connectivity and electricity. The businesses will work together to develop and test technologies, such as fixed wireless and satellites (both geostationary and low earth orbit).

“We believe that having access to the internet is a fundamental right and that having digital skills helps people, businesses, and governments succeed economically. By 2025, we aim to provide high-speed internet access to 250 million people living in unserved or underserved areas worldwide through the Airband Initiative, according to Teresa Hutson, Microsoft’s vice president of technology and corporate responsibility. We will deploy satellite technology in collaboration with Viasat to reach remote locations that previously had few, if any, alternatives for conventional access. Together, we will be able to develop and grow Airband’s reach quickly while looking into a larger project pipeline and additional nations where we haven’t yet worked.

A third or more of the world’s population lacks online access to resources like education, better healthcare, economic prospects, family connections, and more. Additionally, the majority of this population is concentrated in just 20 nations in Africa and the Global South. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations include universal, affordable internet access, and Microsoft and Viasat are working to deliver connectivity and digital literacy for improved education, healthcare, and economic opportunity in crucial markets by concentrating a significant portion of their new partnership on Africa.

Evan Dixon, President, Global Fixed Broadband of Viasat, said, “We’re proud to partner with Microsoft as it represents another important step in bringing affordable internet service across Africa, Latin America, and the U.S. Both companies continue to break down barriers to bridge the digital divide and make significant progress toward digital equity and inclusion. The ability to access the internet anywhere in the world is a difficult and audacious objective, but achieving it responsibly and sustainably will open up enduring opportunities for those who need it most.

More than 51 million people have already received high-speed internet access through Airband thanks to Microsoft and its partners, including over 4 million in underserved rural areas of the United States and an additional 47 million in 16 underdeveloped nations outside of the US. Microsoft’s Airband Initiative was established in 2017 with the goal of advancing global access to affordable internet and useful digital skills. It does this through collaborations with local and regional internet and energy access providers, telecom equipment manufacturers and nonprofits, as well as governments and nongovernmental organizations. Microsoft considers everyone’s access to the internet to be a fundamental right.

Global communications business Viasat is a pioneer in satellite communications technologies and services, committed to ensuring that everyone can connect safely and easily.

Today, Viasat is connecting unserved and underserved communities around the world, many for the first time ever.

This partnership builds upon the existing relationship between Viasat and Microsoft Azure Space to deliver advances in satellite connectivity and furthers Microsoft’s mission to connect anyone, anywhere on the planet. To learn more about the partnership and keep up to date with our projects and initiatives, visit http://www.microsoft.com/airband.