Bringing Wi-Fi to the World: Teresa H. Meng Receives the 2024 Marconi Prize
Cited for fundamental technical contributions to and commercial leadership in all-CMOS Wi-Fi technology, leading to its widespread use in practice.
Bill Gates
From villages in Rwanda to low-income neighborhoods in urban America, millions of households cannot access the Internet for the basic necessities of life.
Many of those who do have access struggle with connections that are far too slow for school, work, healthcare, or other daily activities. In addition, among the billions of people who have access to affordable devices and broadband networks, many do not have the skills to take advantage of this technology to improve their lives.
Location and demographics drive the digital divide.
Because the opportunities of connectivity are fundamental to each individual’s success, the Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone enjoys a safe, open, and accessible network. We apply our vision, expertise, and connections to support technology and digital inclusion innovators who are connecting the world.
The Marconi Society connects people through the technologies we have helped to create and the communities we bring together.
We are honored to share first-hand stories about what digital inclusion means to the un- and underconnected.
Many thanks to our partner, Mobile Beacon.
Access to the Internet impacts each individual’s ability to thrive.
Do you care about education, job opportunities, equity in healthcare and finance, economic development, or accessible government services?
Then you care about digital inclusion.
High-quality access to the Internet is one of the most critical requirements to prepare students for the future. From learning how to efficiently find and analyze information to developing the skills needed for tomorrow’s jobs, students without access to the Internet, appropriate devices, digital literacy, and appropriate content face an ever-widening homework gap.
As the global pandemic drives more and more learning online, this gap will disproportionately impact those students with the fewest resources.
By the Numbers
The global pandemic is creating a work-from-home economy, in which only those on the right side of the digital divide can participate. In the U.S., of those with Internet access, only 65% have enough bandwidth to support video calls.
According to The Economist’s Inclusive Internet Index, 68% of those surveyed state that they are leveraging the Internet to develop new skills while 63% say it has improved their career prospects. However, many job seekers lack the digital skills and Internet infrastructure to even search and apply for open positions.
The Internet is a key tool to provide safe, stable, and marketable positions to workers around the world.
By the Numbers
More than 1.7 billion people globally do not participate in the formal financial system and the majority are women.
“Those who rely on the unregulated informal sector have difficulty saving money for the future, paying for education and investing in businesses. Cash transactions are more likely to be unsafe, expensive and inconvenient,” according to the United Nations’ Better Than Cash Alliance.
Digitizing finances can significantly change the economic picture, particularly for groups such as women, low-income families, and people of color, who are commonly excluded from traditional financial options. The Internet can facilitate inclusion in the broader economy.
By the Numbers
New strategies to connect patients and care providers use telecommunications technology to bridge demographic and financial divides.
According to the American Hospital Association, over 76% of U.S. hospitals are using telehealth to connect with their patients. Additionally, rates of chronic illness are particularly high in communities already suffering from low access to stable Internet. While Internet access will not cure those patients, it would provide them the opportunity to seek quality care without the added cost and barrier of traveling.
Globally, telehealth strategies have assisted the efforts to combat COVID-19 by reducing the need for in-person visits. The opportunities for global telemedicine continue to grow as more communities in previously underserved areas gain access to the Internet.
By the Numbers
Governments across the world have increasingly offered digital avenues to access programs and services, also referred to as e-government. During the pandemic, these e-government platforms experienced new strain as demand increased significantly.
Even before COVID-19, lawyers warned of the challenges an increasingly tech-based justice system presents to low-income, transient, disabled, and elderly populations, whose access is lower than that of their counterparts. And since rates of incarceration and interaction with the justice system are significantly higher for people of color, these barriers exacerbate existing racial disparities.
Globally, the persistent divide between developed and emerging countries’ infrastructure, connectivity, and digital literacy skills exacerbates other inequalities and disproportionately impacts already vulnerable people.
By the Numbers
People and communities that are connected are empowered. They can access information, online health services, and life-saving disaster warnings. They can pay for goods and services via mobile phones, stay in touch with loved ones, increase productivity, or perform better-paid jobs that require digital skills.
The availability of robust Internet access is integral to a community’s ability to thrive socially and economically. Better connected towns, cities and countries attract technology-based investment, encourage more innovation, streamline supply chains, and broaden opportunities for individuals and businesses.
By the Numbers
Cited for fundamental technical contributions to and commercial leadership in all-CMOS Wi-Fi technology, leading to its widespread use in practice.
The February National Broadband Mapping Coalition monthly call led by Christine Parker, Senior GIS Analyst at ILSR, tackled BEAD challenges, accuracy concerns with ISP mapping data, and shared resources for writing broadband and digital equity plans.
On-the-ground experts shared insights about how to build a digital equity mindset in their organization and ecosystem, the skills they need, as well as what is working in the areas they serve.
We lead programs, services and collaborations built to bring inclusive thinking into advanced communications technology and to empower digital inclusion innovators.
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Data-driven insights to empower digital inclusion advocates
Communications technology and digital inclusion for the next decade
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