The Giga Technology Centre in Barcelona recently hosted the second Government Technology Exchange Programme (GTEP), a four-day focus on the tools and services developed by Giga to facilitate school connectivity.
The event gathers technical delegations from countries engaged with Giga to accelerate the challenging process of bringing online learning to their schools, often located in rural, remote and underserved areas.
The latest GTEP gathered government delegates from Brazil, Honduras, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and a representative from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean (OECS). Special guest Uruguay also attended, and shared its experiences with Ceibal, a groundbreaking initiative and digital technology in education.
The programme delved into many topics related to how governments can design, plan, negotiate funding and implement connectivity for schools. Giga’s team of data scientists and engineers in Barcelona develop the open-source tools to help achieve those goals, from school and infrastructure mapping to assessments on financing and contracting options.
GTEP also served as a platform to promote knowledge exchange among the countries where Giga is engaged.
“GTEP provided the opportunity to collaborate with other countries in the region, recognizing the same opportunity with similar challenges,” said Aquilino Arias, National Director of Telecommunications at Panama’s National Authority for Governmental Innovation. “Understanding that education and connectivity go hand in hand and being able to learn from success stories such as Uruguay’s Ceibal gives us a valuable path for action.”
Delegates also gained insight from the local tech and innovation community, including a visit to Smart City World Expo Congress, a major event on cities and urban innovation, which coincided with GTEP.
The first GTEP took place May 20-24, 2024 with a cohort from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana and Sierra Leone. Plans for subsequent editions are underway.