Microsoft has reached a deal with Africa’s biggest independent fibre network towards its goal of expanding Internet access on the continent, its president, Brad Smith, said.
By 2025, the agreement, with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, aims to widen connectivity in countries such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 20 million people, out of Microsoft’s previously announced 100 million target.
“Our goal here is to use digital technology and investment as a catalyst to create more economic opportunity for the population,” Smith said on Tuesday ahead of next week’s UN conference on the least developed countries.
The effort aims to build a new cloud computing and AI market longer term, which would benefit Microsoft, Smith has said.
Airband initiative
The software maker’s so-called Airband initiative brings together telecommunications and electricity providers, non-profits and governments to increase Internet access.
Smith also said Microsoft would work to improve food production in Africa through various partnerships, including applying AI to monitor crops. — Jeffrey Dastin, (c) 2023 Reuters