Connected: Wifi for All

To many, it is clear that global issues of poverty, crime, health, and more all have a strong correlation with one factor: poor education. These issues of inequality typically are born into; people find themselves in a situation where they have a severe disadvantage to other demographics. I'd like to take a glance into the future and imagine a world where everyone has access to the internet and then propose the potential benefits.

This proposal is a big ask — global free wifi and devices are two big-ticket items. However, many corporations are taking great strides towards global wifi. The list includes, but is not limited to Amazon in India, Facebook's Internet.org, and finally OneWeb — funded $1.2B by Softbank. I think that this grand idea is in the works to some degree, and could become a reality someday soon. So, I am proposing to prepare for this day, putting devices in the hands of the impoverished and hiring social working engineers to develop learning platforms, freelance work markets, and more resources for these people. I believe that the opportunity to receive any kind of certification for work on the internet has gives any man or woman the chance to release themselves from the socioeconomic binds they were born into. Long term, we could hope that this would even pool money into areas with poor economic status. For example, we can imagine an African village where all the citizens are STEM educated and have full-time jobs online. These people can begin to amass wealth and have the opportunity to make real change and create real opportunity. 

The most prominent financial hurdle to jump here is the devices. However, I think there is an excellent opportunity for recycling here. Anyone familiar with a company such as Apple knows that they create a new vintage of phone or computer far before the old models are outdated. These products are eventually scrapped for parts, but what if they were donated to the poor? A research company, Startup Genome, has an annual research report called The Startup Report. A clear correlation is outlined between entrepreneurial work, new products, and economic growth. We have the opportunity to give unwealthy regions the power to dig themselves out of their financial ditch. 

I believe in empowering people and giving them the chance to make a difference. If we merely supply the tools, I think we'd live in a brighter world.