The Next Three Billion: Initiatives to Bring the Whole World Online

New America
Thursday, February 9, 2017
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST
https://www.newamerica.org/oti/events/next-three-billion/

For Americans, internet access is increasingly universal and essential. Yet globally, less than half the world is online. More than four billion people are unconnected, depriving them – and all of us – of the economic and social network effects of a globally connected world. The challenges are daunting. And the pace of getting the whole world online is actually slowing not growing.
The Global Connect Initiative, a joint venture of the State Department and World Bank, has set the ambitious goal of getting an additional 1.5 billion people online by 2020. International development banks are beginning to see connectivity as a top global economic development priority and more than 40 countries are engaged in the effort.

In support of these goals, a number of leading U.S. technology companies are developing global wireless broadband strategies – from balloons and drones to immense satellite networks – aimed at bringing affordable Internet access to the poorest parts of Africa, Asia and South America.

These and other, smaller companies and NGOs are piloting more localized strategies, such as leveraging the power of Wi-Fi on vacant TV spectrum, or networking innovation that can make mobile broadband services by local cellular providers more available and affordable.

Please join us for this half-day forum as we showcase – and debate – both “moon shot” global innovations and more local, community networking strategies. The event will also provide updates and a look ahead for the Global Connect Initiative with perspectives from both the State Department and development bank leadership.

Lunch provided.

Speakers

Manu Bhardwaj
Senior Advisor, Technology & Internet Policy, U.S. State Department

Marian Croak
Vice President, Access Strategy and Emerging Markets, Google Inc.

Greg Wyler
Founder and Executive Chairman, OneWeb

Kevin Martin
Vice President for Mobile & Global Access, Facebook

Antonio Garcia Zaballos
Lead Specialist on Telecommunications, Inter-American Development Bank

Paul Garnett
Director, Affordable Access Initiatives, Microsoft Corporation

Vanu Bose
President & CEO, Vanu Inc.

Christopher Yoo
Founding Director, 1 World Connected and Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School

Steve Song
Senior Research Associate, Network Startup Resource Center

Dave Wright
Director, Regulatory Affairs & Network Standards, Ruckus Wireless

Michael Calabrese
Director, Wireless Future Project, Open Technology Institute at New America

Follow the conversation online using #3billiononline and following @OTI.

Live streaming of this event will be available