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Meta and Internet Society team up to expand internet access around the world

Meta and the Internet Society have established the Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative, which aims to expand affordable internet connection around the world. They announced the new project at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The partners are committing a $30 million investment through 2030 that will go to funding infrastructure development in various communities, specifically those overlooked or intentionally ignored by commercial providers. In addition, the initiative&#39;s money will go towards training programs that improve the technical know-how of marginalized grounds, to community-centered solutions for underserved areas, as well as to locally owned networks that create jobs. <br /> This an expansion of the non-profit organization&#39;s partnership with Meta, which started years ago when they worked together to improve internet connectivity in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America by developing Internet exchange points. These points, or IXPs, are physical locations where internet providers can exchange traffic. <br /> Meta is only the Internet Society&#39;s first partner for the Co-Funding Initiative, and the non-profit org is putting out a call for more partners who can help grow that fund. "This new Connectivity Co-Funding initiative, supported by Meta, is a prime example of collective action that will help provide meaningful access to more than 2 billion people across the world with insufficient or no Internet," said Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society. "It is our hope that this fund plays a pivotal role in reducing this gap and creating a more equitable digital society."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-and-internet-society-team-up-to-expand-internet-access-around-the-world-080034114.html?src=rss