Objectives of the Group:

With the combined efforts of the Broadband Commissioners and other development partners and relevant external experts, the Working Group Members will advise on challenges and opportunities related to connecting schools around the world including: technologies, business models, funding mechanisms, articulating the link to quality and inclusive learning, ensuring schools provide the right skills for employability, and ensuring every young person has access to information, opportunity, and choice.

Members of the Broadband Commission Working Group will serve as an ‘Advisory Group for Giga’ , a Global School Connectivity Initiative coordinated by UNICEF and ITU. The Advisory Group will act as a key consultation group that provides advisory and advocacy guidance on the development of the Giga project. The output of the group will build on the work and research of the various members and their real market experience based on projects related to education connectivity, access, demand etc. The work of the Advisory Group will be designed so as to not cause any perceived or potential conflict of interest in future phases of the Giga project that may involve procurement/implementation. The Working Group will also act as a key consultation group that provides advisory and advocacy guidance on the development and financing of the e-schools initiative which aims at ensuring connectivity of schools is articulated with inclusive and quality teaching and learning and better learning outcomes and employability of learners.

The aim is to benefit from the unique composition of the Commission and its expertise and perspective of the top/key players in the ICT industry, policy makers and IGOs and to engage with all relevant stakeholders and sharing knowledge about other existing resources and initiatives.