Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has come to a deal with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which operates Africa’s largest independent fiber network. This is a significant advance in the company’s mission to make Internet access available across the continent.

This deal intends to give access to 20 million individuals in nations like Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo by the year 2025. This idea will help in attaining Microsoft’s previously disclosed objective of delivering connectivity to 100 million individuals.

The goal of management is to increase the number of economic opportunities available to the people of Africa through the application of technology and investment. In the long run, this would be beneficial in the process of developing a new market for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

In order to broaden people’s access to the internet, Microsoft’s Airband effort seeks to bring together telecommunications and electrical suppliers, as well as government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

In addition, Microsoft will aim to increase food production in Africa through a variety of collaborations and by using artificial intelligence to monitor crop production.

The Effort to Deliver Meaningful Connection, Carried Out by Microsoft Airband

Microsoft has launched a program called Airband with the goal of making inexpensive Internet access a fundamental right for all people and bridging the digital divide that exists between communities. Across the world, the firm connects communities that were previously cut off from the internet.

Almost 2.7 billion people, or around one-third of the total population of the world, do not have access to the internet. The majority of the population hails from countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Microsoft holds the belief that if individuals have access to new technology, it has the potential to alter people’s lives. As of this day, the Airband program has benefited 51 million people across the globe. This includes four million people in the United States and nine million people in Africa. Airband also offered internet access to people in Puerto Rico, Colombia, India, Ghana, and many other countries and territories like these.

Africa is considered by management to be one of the most important markets on a global scale. The population’s median age is under 20, and more than 60% of its inhabitants are under the age of 25. But management would need access to digital information in order to take advantage of this possibility.

There are over 600 million people in Africa who do not have access to the internet since only 40 percent of the population has access to electricity. This is something that the corporation views as a significant opportunity. Because Africa is such a huge and varied continent, it faces a wide variety of challenges; hence, addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive strategy.

Microsoft, through its many local partnerships, is attempting to provide solutions to a wide variety of issues that are specific to a variety of geographical areas. The corporation is aware that simply delivering more affordable connectivity will not be enough to resolve the issue by itself. As a result, the company collaborates with local organizations to provide greater educational opportunities through the teaching of digital skills.

Microsoft stock is up 4.2% year-to-date.

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