Bridging the Digital Divide: Our Global Initiative

In 2025, internet access is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity for education, employment, healthcare, and civic participation. Yet billions of people worldwide still lack meaningful access to digital technology. This digital divide isn't just about internet connectivity; it's about affordability, digital literacy, accessible devices, and culturally relevant content. It's a human rights issue that perpetuates inequality and limits opportunity.

At Tanqory, we believe technology should be accessible to everyone, regardless of geography, income, or background. Today, we're launching a comprehensive global initiative to bridge the digital divide, committing significant resources to ensure that underserved communities worldwide can participate fully in the digital economy and society.

This isn't charity—it's an investment in human potential and our collective future. When we connect the unconnected, everyone benefits.

The Digital Divide in 2025

Despite decades of technological progress, digital inequality remains stark and multifaceted:

Global Connectivity Gap: Approximately 2.6 billion people—nearly one-third of the world's population—still lack internet access. The gap is most pronounced in rural areas, developing nations, and among marginalized communities.

Affordability Barriers: Even where internet infrastructure exists, cost prevents access. In many countries, the price of basic connectivity exceeds 5% of monthly income, making it unaffordable for low-income families.

Device Access: Meaningful internet participation requires devices—smartphones, tablets, or computers. Millions of people lack these devices or share them among large families, limiting individual access to education and opportunities.

Digital Literacy: Access alone isn't enough. Many people lack the digital skills needed to use technology effectively for education, employment, or civic engagement. Digital literacy gaps disproportionately affect older adults, rural populations, and communities with limited educational resources.

Content and Language: Much online content is in English or other major languages, creating barriers for speakers of minority languages. Cultural relevance matters—technology and content designed for Western contexts may not meet the needs of diverse global communities.

Quality Disparity: Not all internet access is equal. While some communities enjoy high-speed fiber connections, others struggle with slow, unreliable connections that prevent participation in video education, telemedicine, or modern employment opportunities.

Research shows this digital divide has profound consequences: children without internet access fall behind in education, adults without digital skills struggle to find employment, rural communities lack access to telemedicine, and entire regions are excluded from the digital economy.

Our Comprehensive Digital Inclusion Initiative

Tanqory's digital divide initiative takes a holistic, multi-dimensional approach addressing infrastructure, affordability, devices, literacy, and content:

Free Access Programs for Underserved Communities

We're providing free or heavily subsidized access to Tanqory's platform for qualifying organizations serving underserved communities:

Educational Institutions: Schools, libraries, and educational nonprofits in underserved areas receive free access to our full platform, including collaboration tools, educational features, and unlimited storage for academic purposes.

Community Organizations: Nonprofits, community centers, and civil society organizations working in underserved communities qualify for free platform access, enabling them to operate efficiently despite limited budgets.

Healthcare Providers: Clinics and healthcare organizations serving low-income and rural populations receive free access to support telemedicine, patient communication, and healthcare coordination.

Small Businesses and Social Enterprises: Entrepreneurs and social enterprises in underserved communities can access our business tools free for their first three years, removing technology costs as a barrier to economic development.

Eligibility and Application: Organizations can apply through our digital inclusion portal at tanqory.com/digital-inclusion. We've designed the application process to be simple and accessible, with decisions typically within 48 hours.

Device Distribution and Connectivity Support

Access to platforms means nothing without devices and internet connectivity. We're addressing these fundamental barriers:

Device Distribution Programs: In partnership with device manufacturers and refurbishment organizations, we're distributing laptops, tablets, and smartphones to students, families, and individuals in underserved communities. Our goal is to distribute 500,000 devices over the next three years.

Device Refurbishment: We've established device refurbishment centers in partnership with local technical training programs, creating jobs while providing affordable devices. Used devices are professionally refurbished, loaded with educational software, and distributed at minimal or no cost.

Internet Connectivity Partnerships: We're partnering with internet service providers, municipalities, and satellite internet companies to expand connectivity in underserved areas. This includes supporting community wifi networks, subsidized home internet programs, and satellite connectivity for remote regions.

Hotspot Distribution: Following successful models like AT&T's distribution of 138,000 hotspots impacting 385,000 people, we're providing mobile hotspots to families without home internet access, enabling students to complete homework and adults to access employment and services.

Infrastructure Investment: In partnership with telecommunications companies and governments, we're contributing to infrastructure development in underserved regions, supporting fiber deployment, cellular tower construction, and satellite connectivity expansion.

Digital Literacy and Skills Training

Technology access is meaningless without the skills to use it effectively. Our digital literacy initiative provides comprehensive training:

Basic Digital Skills: Free courses covering fundamental skills—using computers and smartphones, navigating the internet, email communication, online safety, and privacy protection. These courses are available in 25+ languages with culturally appropriate examples.

Advanced Digital Skills: Beyond basics, we offer training in professional skills—office productivity software, data analysis, digital marketing, graphic design, and web development. These skills directly improve employment prospects.

Platform-Specific Training: Comprehensive training on using Tanqory's platform effectively, including collaboration features, project management tools, and advanced capabilities. We ensure free platform access translates to effective usage.

Train-the-Trainer Programs: We train community members to become digital literacy instructors in their own communities. This creates local expertise, employment opportunities, and culturally relevant instruction that resonates better than external training.

School Integration: Working with schools in underserved areas to integrate digital literacy into curricula, ensuring the next generation grows up with essential digital skills.

Certification Programs: Offering recognized certifications in digital skills, providing credentials that improve employment prospects and economic opportunity.

Accessible Learning: All training materials are available in multiple formats—video, text, audio, and hands-on exercises—ensuring accessibility for different learning styles and abilities.

Localization and Cultural Relevance

Digital inclusion requires more than translating interfaces—it requires deep cultural adaptation:

Language Support: Our platform supports 25 languages currently, with plans to expand to 50+ languages including many minority and indigenous languages often neglected by technology companies.

Content Creation Partnerships: We partner with local content creators to develop regionally relevant educational materials, tutorials, and resources that reflect local cultures, contexts, and needs.

Community Input: Users from underserved communities participate in product development, providing feedback that shapes our platform to better serve their needs. Digital inclusion can't be designed solely by privileged designers—it requires input from those being served.

Cultural Competency: Our team includes members from diverse backgrounds who understand different cultural contexts. This diversity improves our ability to serve global communities effectively.

Local Interface Adaptations: Beyond language translation, we adapt interface designs to be culturally appropriate—colors, imagery, examples, and metaphors that resonate with different cultural contexts.

Local Partnerships and Community-Driven Approach

Effective digital inclusion requires deep community partnerships. We can't parachute in with solutions designed elsewhere—we must work with local leaders who understand their communities:

Community Organization Partnerships: We partner with established community organizations, nonprofits, and local leaders who have trust and relationships in communities we're serving. They understand local needs better than we ever could.

Government Collaboration: Working with municipal, regional, and national governments to align our initiatives with public digital inclusion programs, ensuring coordination rather than duplication.

Educational Institution Partnerships: Collaborating with schools, universities, and vocational training centers to integrate our tools and training into existing educational programs.

Private Sector Partnerships: Partnering with telecommunications companies for connectivity, device manufacturers for hardware, and other technology companies on complementary initiatives.

Community Advisory Boards: Establishing advisory boards composed of community members in regions where we work, ensuring our initiatives remain responsive to actual community needs and priorities.

Economic Development Integration: Coordinating with economic development initiatives to ensure digital literacy training aligns with local employment opportunities and economic priorities.

Innovative Programs and Initiatives

Beyond our core pillars, several specific programs exemplify our approach:

Digital Inclusion Labs

We're establishing Digital Inclusion Labs—community spaces equipped with computers, internet access, and trained staff providing free technology access and training:

Community Computing Centers: In partnership with libraries, community centers, and schools, we're creating spaces where community members can access technology, receive training, and get technical support.

Job Search Support: Labs provide dedicated support for job seekers—resume development, online application assistance, interview preparation, and professional skills training.

Homework Help: Students without home internet access can complete homework, access educational resources, and receive tutoring support.

Digital Government Services: Many government services have moved online. Labs help community members access healthcare, social services, licenses, and civic information.

Small Business Incubation: Aspiring entrepreneurs can access business tools, training, and mentorship to start and grow businesses.

Rural Connectivity Initiative

Rural areas face unique digital divide challenges. Our rural connectivity initiative addresses these specific barriers:

Satellite Internet Partnerships: Partnering with satellite internet providers to bring connectivity to remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure is economically unfeasible.

Community Network Support: Supporting community-owned and operated internet networks in rural areas, providing technical assistance, equipment, and training.

Agricultural Technology: Providing farmers with digital tools for precision agriculture, market information, weather forecasting, and direct-to-consumer sales platforms.

Telemedicine Access: Ensuring rural healthcare providers have connectivity and tools for telemedicine, dramatically improving healthcare access in medically underserved areas.

Distance Education: Supporting rural schools with connectivity, devices, and platforms enabling access to educational resources and instruction unavailable locally.

Youth Digital Empowerment

Young people in underserved communities face particular barriers. Our youth programs focus on skills for future success:

STEM Education Programs: Free access to coding, robotics, and STEM educational resources for students in underserved schools and communities.

Career Exploration: Virtual job shadowing, mentorship programs connecting youth with professionals, and exposure to careers they might not otherwise consider.

College Application Support: Assistance with college applications, financial aid, and accessing higher education opportunities for first-generation college students.

Creative Expression: Tools and training for digital art, music production, video creation, and other forms of digital creative expression.

Youth Leadership: Programs training young people to become digital inclusion advocates and trainers in their own communities.

Measuring Impact and Accountability

We're committed to transparency about our digital inclusion work. Progress is measured through specific metrics:

Connectivity: Number of individuals and communities gaining internet access through our initiatives Device Distribution: Devices distributed and families/individuals reached Training Completion: Individuals completing digital literacy training at various skill levels Certification Achievement: Recognized certifications earned by program participants Employment Impact: Participants gaining employment or advancement through digital skills Educational Achievement: Students improving academic performance with technology access Economic Development: Businesses started or grown using our tools and training Community Feedback: Satisfaction scores and qualitative feedback from participating communities

We publish quarterly impact reports detailing progress against these metrics, successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Digital inclusion work requires honest assessment and continuous improvement based on real-world results.

Long-Term Commitment

Digital inclusion isn't a one-time initiative—it requires sustained commitment. We're making a ten-year commitment to this work, with the following milestones:

Year 1-2 (2025-2026): Establish partnerships, launch initial programs, distribute 100,000 devices, train 250,000 people Year 3-5 (2027-2029): Scale successful programs, expand to additional regions, distribute 400,000 more devices, train 1 million people Year 6-10 (2030-2035): Achieve self-sustaining community programs, reach 5 million people cumulatively, demonstrate measurable impact on education, employment, and economic development

Get Involved

Digital inclusion requires collective action. Here's how you can participate:

For Underserved Communities: Apply for free platform access and program participation at tanqory.com/digital-inclusion

For Organizations: Partner with us to expand reach and impact. Contact partnerships@tanqory.com

For Volunteers: Contribute skills—technical expertise, training, translation, or community organizing. Visit tanqory.com/volunteer

For Donors: Support device distribution, connectivity subsidies, and training programs. Tax-deductible contributions accepted through our partner nonprofits.

For Corporations: Collaborate on complementary initiatives, contribute resources, or join our corporate partnership program.

Our Commitment

The digital divide is one of the defining justice issues of our time. In an increasingly digital world, lack of technology access means limited educational opportunity, employment barriers, healthcare gaps, and civic exclusion. This isn't acceptable.

Tanqory commits to being part of the solution—not just through rhetoric, but through sustained action and measurable impact. We're investing significant resources, dedicating talented team members, and making long-term commitments because we believe technology access is a right, not a privilege.

The work ahead is substantial, and we can't do it alone. But together—with community partners, governments, other companies, and dedicated individuals—we can bridge the digital divide and create a more equitable, connected world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Connecting the unconnected isn't just good for those we're connecting—it's good for all of us. A more inclusive, equitable digital world benefits everyone.

For more information about our digital inclusion initiative or to get involved, visit tanqory.com/digital-inclusion or contact inclusion@tanqory.com