Governments

Having an accurate map of school locations and their connectivity status is critical to help governments connect schools to the internet.

Giga maps and verifies the precise locations of schools, using data collected from government bodies, private companies, open-data sources, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence models.

We also continuously monitor the real-time connectivity status of schools for troubleshooting and improvement of quality of service.

Mapping schools helps us understand our goal.

Giga analyses the current infrastructure, identifies needs and costs, and provides a cost analysis of connectivity options.

We collect and use data to identify gaps, understand costs and design connectivity plans. This includes school locations, connectivity status and electricity supply, distance to telecommunication infrastructure and other infrastructure data such as road networks or population density.

Cost calculations estimate the investment required based on selected technologies and routes. Factors include fiber length, terrain type and last-mile deployment challenges.

We evaluate the impact of a government’s policy and regulatory choices on school connectivity plans, and make recommendations to facilitate connectivity.

All this information is visualized in interactive maps to help governments plan and design a connectivity strategy to achieve high-quality, sustainable school connectivity.

Giga advises governments on options for scalable, blended finance solutions to bridge the investment gap and deliver connectivity to every school in the world.

Giga facilitates access to development loans, technical assistance grants, and blended finance instruments that align with national priorities, instead of disbursing grants or providing funding directly to countries.

By coordinating public-private partnerships, engaging international finance institutions and advocating for the inclusion of last-mile school connectivity into large infrastructure projects, we unlock new funding streams, aggregate private capital and accelerate digital infrastructure finance.

Giga prioritizes commercial viability of projects to attract a broad set of capital partners and enable innovative, blended financing solutions. By piloting sustainable business models underpinned by connectivity credits, Giga also promotes the long-term sustainability of connectivity.

From initial project planning to monitoring service quality, Giga supports governments throughout the lifecycle of connectivity projects, ensuring that the desired social and financial outcomes are achieved.

Giga also assists governments in evaluating market conditions in the ICT sector and provides guidance on procurement and competitive bidding processes for school connectivity. This effort helps mitigate risks and leads to a reduction in connectivity costs by assessing providers’ capabilities to deliver infrastructure, equipment and services.

Giga has helped realize significant savings for countries. With Giga’s support, governments have successfully negotiated better connectivity contracts, resulting in significant cost savings.

Strengthening capacity to advance school connectivity underpins all four of Giga’s primary activities. Giga’s capacity development programs help government leaders and tech experts design effective, tailored connectivity strategies in the countries where Giga works.

Giga operates through partnerships at every level – engaging governments, UN agencies, private sector leaders, research institutions and funding organizations to achieve universal school connectivity. Our mission to connect every school to the internet is ambitious, and it cannot be achieved alone.