Posted by
Director, Technology Policy Group, Microsoft
Today at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, Microsoft announced a new pilot project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Microsoft will work in collaboration with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and local Internet service provider UhuruOne to provide affordable wireless broadband access to university students and faculty. The pilot will target The University of Dar es Salaam, among others, and we expect that tens of thousands of Tanzanian students and faculty members could take advantage of the integrated solutions available through the project.
Information communications technology (ICT) holds enormous potential for many aspects of development, but is particularly key to education. Use of ICT in schools and universities can increase productivity, enable individualized and peer-to-peer learning and more easily adapt to meet the needs of learners with disabilities. It is particularly critical in emerging markets as it can level the playing field, enabling access to resources, such as international research and books, which would otherwise be difficult for either students or teachers to attain. Broadband Internet is therefore becoming an increasingly crucial component of high quality learning.
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