Technology is constantly evolving, especially with the recent rise of AI. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai even referred to AI as “more profound than … electricity or fire.” If AI platforms such as Bard or GPT-4 are regarded as “fire” it is hard to fathom an analogy as to how important the internet is. Our lives revolve around the internet which we use for education, job applications, and to even access the AI that Google’s CEO was referring to.
Unfortunately, not everyone has access to this critical resource. Nearly 2.9 billion people, more than a third of the world's population, don’t have access to the internet. Even in a developed country like the US, 42 million don’t have access to the internet, 2 million of whom reside in the state of California. A study by Stanford in 2018 found that 28% percent of residents in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, don’t have access to the internet. The picture above shows how the situation is even bleaker in many other parts of the US.
Further, as can be seen in the graph above, there is direct correlation between family income and access to the internet. The majority of those who don’t have access belong to low income families. The lack of internet in households has devastating effects, especially on children whose education has become mostly online post pandemic and need the internet to complete school work.
There is a critical need for affordable internet plans for low income families. Many internet providers such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Comcast have created internet accessibility programs targeting such families. However, these internet plans are not being properly marketed towards these families. They are advertised online. So, how exactly are people who need these programs supposed to learn about them without access to the internet?
This is where Technology Access for All comes in. The organization strives to drive social impact by connecting these affordable internet plans with those who need them the most! The organization focuses on educating children from low income households about programs that provide them access to affordable internet and technology. Children, not only, benefit the most from access to the internet, they also spread the word with their parents/guardians.
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