IEEE Program Aims to Connect the Billions Who Are Still Offline

["Given how integral the Internet has become to everyday tasks such as shopping, paying bills, and holding virtual meetings, it's interesting that nearly 30 percent of the global population still has no access to it. More than 2 billion people are still offline, according to a report released in November by the International Telecommunication Union. More and more people are being connected, though, thanks to IEEE Future Networks' Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) and similar programs.", 'Since 2021, the technical community has been working to accelerate the development, standardization, and deployment of 5G, 6G, and future generations.

Every year, CTU holds a worldwide competition to seek out innovators who are in the early stages of developing technologies or applications to provide greater access. It also holds an annual summit that brings together experts, community leaders, and other interested parties to discuss strategies to expand access and foster digital inclusion. CTU expanded in several ways last year.

It launched regional summits to focus on local connectivity issues, organized community-focused events, and established an expanded mentorship program to further support contest winners and the next generation of technological innovators impacting humanity.', 'The CTU challenge, launched in 2021, typically receives 200 to 300 submissions each year. Last year 245 projects from 52 countries were submitted. Participants include academics, nonprofit organizations, startups, and students.

Projects can be entered into one of three categories. The Technology Applications category is for new connectivity methods or innovations that broaden broadband access. Those who improve the affordability of Internet services can enter the Business Model category.

The Community Enablement category is for strategies that promote public broadband adoption. "IEEE Future Networks has created a community to bring all these initiatives working on digital connectivity together in a single platform and leverage the IEEE brand to help raise the visibility of their work," says IEEE Life Fellow Sudhir Dixit, a CTU cochair and a Basic Internet Foundation cofounder, which also works to expand Internet access.', "Last year's challenge submission period was from March to June, with judging phases from June through November. The 20 winners presented their solutions in December at a virtual Winners Summit.

Fourteen projects received prize money, ranging from US $500 to $2,500. Six finalists earned an honorable mention at the summit. The awards amounts have varied over the years, based on the sponsorship.

Among the winners were a solar-powered community broadband network in Tanzania, a low-cost method for accessing the Internet that uses FM radio and a short message service (SMS), and a strategy for utilizing India's rural broadband infrastructure to deliver medical services to people living in isolated, tribal, and other underserved regions.", 'The program also partners with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) to develop guidelines for some of the submitted innovations. "Our job is to help further develop the technology, look for gaps, and see if it is good enough to be applied to rural villages, like those in Africa and India," says IEEE Fellow Ashutosh Dutta, who is a CTU cochair and a professor at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. "The idea behind the contest is to make sure the technology actually gets implemented at the grassroots level and is being used by the local community." This year\'s challenge submission period runs until 19 June, with judging phases from July through October.']