Google Forms An Alliance With Top Companies For Affordable Internet Worldwide
Google has kick-started an initiative to bring the Internet to third world countries with the help of its peers in the technology sector as well as a handful of American, British and other organizations.
Called the Alliance for Affordable Internet, group aims to steer countries toward policy and regulatory change that will encourage better wireless and wired Internet access, CNet reported.
Google says that A4AI will work with countries around the world to influence policy changes that will make Internet more affordable. How affordable? Google says that ISPs in developing countries charge up to 30 percent of a person’s monthly income for basic broadband services. With effective policy change, Google says it can bring down costs to the UN Broadband Commission’s recommended target of 5 percent of a person’s monthly income.
“A4AI has a specific goal in mind: to reach the UN Broadband Commission target of entry-level broadband access priced at less than 5 percent of monthly income worldwide,” Jennifer Haroon, principal executive of Google’s access program, wrote in a blog post.
Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, Cisco and Intel are just a few of the more than 30 members drawn from technology firms, public sector groups and foundations around the world.
If A4AI achieves its goal, the two-thirds of the world that is not currently online will be able to connect to the Internet for a reasonable price.
