P2C Flash Edition 06

Welcome to P2C Flash!
Welcome to the sixth edition of P2C Flash, designed to amplify the voices of pledgers and spotlight their impactful commitments to advancing global connectivity and digital transformation. With over 1000 pledges from over 480 entities across 149 countries, the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition continues to drive meaningful change in the digital landscape. P2C Flash is a monthly publication dedicated to showcasing these contributions, from inspiring impact stories and government initiatives to local innovations and new pledges, all with the goal of fostering a global community united by the mission of universal meaningful connectivity. Join us as we bring these efforts to the forefront and highlight the diverse initiatives shaping the future of sustainable digital transformation worldwide.
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Welcoming New Pledges
The Welcoming New Pledges section introduces the latest commitments made by partners to advance sustainable digital transformation through the P2C Digital Coalition. This section highlights fresh pledges from a diverse range of stakeholders who are dedicated to bridging the digital divide and promoting universal, meaningful connectivity. Each new pledge brings us a step closer to a more inclusive and digitally connected world.
UNDP & Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany: Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), spearheaded the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This landmark initiative is the first global multistakeholder Declaration explicitly focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in international development, which outlines shared principles and commitments to promote the equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development and deployment of AI worldwide. It places particular emphasis on empowering developing countries.
The Declaration centers on ensuring AI technologies uphold human rights, serve and protect marginalized communities, combat disinformation, and protect the planet. Endorsing organizations further focus on improving the resource efficiency of AI systems, expanding access to AI education for women and girls, and supporting the growth of local AI innovations in developing countries.
In addition, many endorsing organizations have committed to specific and tangible actions that align with the overarching principles. The Declaration is a voluntary, legally non-binding document laying general guiding principles. UNDP and BMZ invite all interested stakeholders to endorse the Declaration and actively contribute to its implementation.


Cisco Systems: USD 1B Global AI Investment Fund to Accelerate Responsible Digital Transformation
In June 2024, Cisco pledged USD 1 billion to accelerate the development of secure, reliable, and trustworthy AI technologies and infrastructure worldwide through its Global AI Investment Fund. As part of this investment, in May 2025, Cisco launched its first Global AI Hub in France.
This strategic commitment focuses on digital upskilling and supporting startups and innovators working on generative AI, machine learning infrastructure, and responsible AI applications. Through these initiatives, including initial investments in Cohere, Mistral AI, and Scale AI, Cisco intends to boost enterprise AI readiness and help strengthen the global digital ecosystem.

China Unicom: Actively promote the development of digital villages
In China, 4G/5G networks and gigabit broadband are rapidly extending coverage into rural areas. The 5G network has achieved continuous coverage across all townships nationwide, with coverage rates exceeding 90% in administrative villages. To ensure rural residents fully benefit from high-speed connectivity, China Unicom is advancing rural revitalisation through its “China Unicom Digital Village” platform.
This initiative delivers an integrated suite of services, “connectivity, sensing, computing, and intelligence”, to support digital development in rural communities. With an estimated value of approximately USD 16.4 million over the next five years (through 2029), the pledge aims to boost investment and operational capacity in rural digital infrastructure. So far, the initiative has reached around 23.68 million households across 252,000 administrative villages in China.


Impact Stories
The Impact Stories section shines a spotlight on the real-world transformations made possible through the P2C commitments. These stories bring to life the tangible benefits of connectivity, showcasing how innovative partnerships and bold initiatives are breaking barriers and empowering communities globally. Featuring pledges that have submitted progress reports, this section highlights measurable impact and accountability, demonstrating how shared efforts translate into lasting change. From improving access to education to connecting marginalized communities, these narratives reveal the human impact behind the numbers, reminding us of the collective potential to create a digitally inclusive future for everyone everywhere.

Jokkolabs Banjul: Committed to digital inclusion on access and connectivity in rural Gambia, through the setting up of community network centres
Jokkolabs Banjul pledged to invest USD 60,000 to establish a Community Network Centre in the Upper River Region of Gambia to advance digital inclusion for marginalized communities, particularly women and youth. Located in Basse, the center aims to reduce the cost of Internet access, provide accessible digital skills training, promote innovation, and empower local residents through technology-driven programs powered by solar energy.
With support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Jokkolabs Banjul has already implemented impactful digital rights and inclusion initiatives across all six regions of Gambia, including voice-based WhatsApp outreach, town hall meetings, and community radio programs. These efforts have especially targeted women’s farming groups, many of whom already own smartphones and actively participate in Jokkolabs Banjul’s monthly consultations to shape relevant training needs.
Despite these achievements, the full establishment of the Community Network Centre is still in progress. Currently, the pledge is about 25–50% fulfilled, with ongoing advocacy and capacity-building efforts. To close the digital gap and achieve meaningful connectivity, Jokkolabs Banjul is seeking support from partners committed to sustainable development, digital rights, and inclusive innovation in underserved areas of Africa.
AfricaConnect3: Unlocking the potential of education and research through access to digital infrastructure in Africa
The AfricaConnect3 Project partners, UbuntuNet Alliance, WACREN, and ASREN, supported by GÉANT and co-funded by the European Union, jointly pledged to advance digital infrastructure, education technology services, and capacity building across Africa’s research and education sectors. Through this commitment, they aim to empower National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to increase engagement with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that no students, educators, or researchers are left behind when it comes to digital transformation.
By 2025, AfricaConnect3 has made significant progress, expanding high-speed, affordable internet access to over 9 million users in more than 3,000 institutions across 24 African countries. The project has improved access to critical digital services such as eduroam and eduID.africa, empowered over 5,000 NREN professionals and communities through 146 training sessions, and drove and advanced open science through targeted initiatives. With a strong emphasis on inclusion, nearly 2,000 women were trained, and four women-focused hackathons were delivered to promote gender empowerment in the digital space.
In 2022, AfricaConnect3 helped drive the adoption of the African Union’s Digital Education Strategy, which aims to establish and sustain 54 NRENs by 2027, marking a project milestone. AfricaConnect3 continues to advance inclusive digital education, foster global partnerships, and contribute to closing the gender gap in STEM across Africa.



Fundación Gran Chaco:
Youth Digital Inclusion in Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay
Fundación Gran Chaco pledged USD 75,000 to promote youth empowerment in the Gran Chaco region of Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay through capacity-building in digital and soft skills aligned with local labor market needs.
Since then, Fundación Gran Chaco has doubled its investment, committing USD 150,000 to expand the impact of the initiative. It has delivered 28 courses and trained 341 youths, with over 50% female participation, supporting progress toward gender parity. The training covered 28 courses and 8 different programs, including digital marketing, social media, virtual wallets, and Office tools, alongside essential soft skills like leadership, entrepreneurship, and self-management.
In addition, the initiative led to the creation of 7 new partnerships with national telecom authorities and identified real employment opportunities in digital services and youth-led entrepreneurship.
This pledge has enhanced youth digital inclusion, boosted financial resilience, and fostered a locally grounded model for digital development in marginalized regions.
Global Digital Inclusion Partnership: Advancing Digital Gender Equality Through Evidence-Based Research and Advocacy
The Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP) is a coalition of over 50 public, private, and civil society organizations working to ensure universal, meaningful connectivity for the global majority by 2030. A core priority is closing the gender digital divide, the disproportionate exclusion of women and girls from the digital economy.
GDIP is shaping gender-responsive digital policy through evidence-based research and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Its Connected Resilience research on meaningful connectivity surveyed over 6,000 women in nine low- and middle-income countries, revealing how geography, education, and income influence access to meaningful connectivity.
Key findings show rural women are three times more likely to lack internet access, and women with tertiary education are nearly twice as likely to be meaningfully connected. Barriers include affordability, infrastructure gaps, and unpaid care responsibilities. Without bold policy action, countries risk losing over USD 500 billion in GDP over five years due to the exclusion of women online.
GDIP’s insights are informing national and global strategies with partners like ISOC and UN Women. Together, we can drive inclusive digital development and empower women worldwide. – Meaningful Connectivity for the Global Majority. Learn more: Global Digital Inclusion Partnership.



P2C In The World
The P2C in the World section showcases the global reach and influence of the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, highlighting its diverse partnerships, success stories, and transformative commitments that are shaping the future of connectivity for all. By fostering collaboration among governments, private sector entities, civil society, and international organisations, P2C drives impactful initiatives ranging from grassroots projects to large-scale endeavours.



Zero Project: Promoting equitable AI and developing AI tools to support decision-making and collaboration globally
The Zero Project, launched by the non-profit Essl Foundation out of Vienna, Austria, works for a world with zero barriers by leveraging artificial intelligence to break down barriers for persons with disabilities worldwide. The Zero Project develops AI tools that empower policymakers, NGOs, and stakeholders with instant access to data from more than a decade of research on disability innovation and a global network of experts, fostering collaboration and accelerating progress toward SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
The Zero Project’s AI tools are based on representative datasets, extensive testing with the disability inclusion community, and strategic partnerships, such as with Microsoft for the development of the Zero Project AI Assistant. The Zero Project AI Assistant has been showcased at the Zero Project Conference 2025, and the Global Disability Summit in Berlin in April 2025. Moreover, further tools focus on AI-enhanced matchmaking and personalized communications on disability innovation to support replication and impact of good practices and policies.
Additionally, the Equitable AI Alliance initiative was launched with the support of The Seneca Trust to advocate for responsible AI. In its first year, the Alliance placed expert speakers with direct experience of disability and technology at more than 10 conferences worldwide, and launched a free Knowledge Hub of curated resources, aligning with SDG 9 and SDG 17.
Combining AI innovation with a commitment to inclusivity, the Zero Project is transforming how the world approaches disability rights and digital accessibility. For more information, visit the Zero Project.
SBA Communications: Strengthening Africa’s Connectivity through Tower Infrastructure Advocacy
Over the past two decades, Africa’s wireless communications landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation. The expansion of 3G and 4G networks has significantly improved broadband coverage. However, challenges persist, particularly around affordability and equitable access to services.
To help address these challenges, SBA Communications has pledged USD 115,000 to advance digital connectivity across Africa through policy advocacy and knowledge sharing. Central to this effort is the publication of a landmark white paper, The Independent Tower Industry as a Key Enabler of the Development of African Telecommunications, which underscores the pivotal role of infrastructure sharing in accelerating mobile broadband deployment and improving affordability across the continent.
The study, covering 14 countries, including Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Rwanda, employs econometric modelling, which revealed that countries with well-developed independent tower industries consistently outperform their peers in mobile broadband coverage, adoption, performance, affordability, and service quality.
The white paper advocates for a light-touch, pro-investment regulatory environment that enables growth while safeguarding public interest. Drawing on global best practices, including those outlined by the World Bank Group, it recommends registration-based market entry in place of licensing, no local ownership requirements, and policies that promote infrastructure sharing and carrier neutrality. These measures are essential to accelerate 4G and 5G deployment, lower costs, and expand digital inclusion across Africa.
These recommendations have already informed high-level policy dialogues in South Africa and Tanzania, where the report has been presented to senior government and diplomatic stakeholders. It also serves as a strategic resource for investors and businesses interested in Africa’s dynamic telecommunications sector, offering guidance on future trends and opportunities for economic development and innovation.



African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute: Enhancing Digital Capacity and Skills Development Across Sub-Saharan Africa
The African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI), an Inter-Governmental Organisation established in 1991, has successfully completed its ambitious pledge to enhance digital capacity and skills development across nine Sub-Saharan African member states: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, and The Gambia.
Between April 2023 and March 2025, AFRALTI exceeded its initial target of 3,000 participants by training 3,118 individuals across 429 comprehensive programs delivered through both in-person and online modalities. This achievement demonstrates the institute’s adaptive capacity and commitment to accessible digital education.
Beyond this pledge, AFRALTI’s broader partnership initiatives have yielded remarkable results. Through collaboration with IBM’s Skills Build program, the institute has trained over 12,000 youth in Kenya over five years. The partnership with Uganda’s Institute of Information and Communications Technology has empowered over 1,000 ICT officers over two years. CISCO partnerships train an average of 600 youth annually across Eastern Africa.
AFRALTI’s approach addresses critical digital infrastructure needs by training telecommunications engineers, policymakers, and regulators responsible for expanding regional connectivity while delivering specialised cybersecurity programs and supporting educational infrastructure development through strategic partnerships with different organisations.
We celebrate the incredible strides made through collective action and shared commitments to bridging the digital divide. The stories, partnerships, and innovations highlighted here are just the beginning of what we can achieve together. Stay tuned for our next issue, where we will delve even deeper into the transformative power of connectivity, featuring more inspiring initiatives, voices from the field, and bold new commitments driving progress across the globe. The journey to a digitally inclusive world continues – and we’re just getting started!
Click here to learn more about how to get featured in our upcoming editions.
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