For most of us, life without Wi-Fi is hard to imagine. But for nearly half of the world’s students, a reliable internet connection isn’t just a luxury – it’s a daily struggle. In fact, an estimated 1.3 billion children still lack access to the internet at home, and almost 50 per cent of students can’t get online at school every day. That means millions of kids are missing out on the digital learning tools, resources and opportunities that many of us take for granted. A new global partnership between tech giant Cloudflare and UNICEF – specifically their Giga project – is on a mission to change that. Announced this week, the collaboration aims to help connect every school in the world to the internet by giving governments, non-profits and civil society groups the data they need to make it happen.
Bridging the gap with data
Launched in 2019, Giga is a joint initiative between UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that works with governments to map school connectivity and close the digital divide. The project’s open-source platform, Giga Maps, already helps countries locate schools, measure their internet access and plan strategies to improve it. But Cloudflare’s involvement is set to turbocharge that mission.
Through the partnership, Giga will now use Cloudflare’s Speed Test solution – a tool that measures internet speed, latency and affordability in real time – to monitor connectivity directly from schools. With up to 10 million availability tests being run each month, the data will provide an unprecedented level of detail about where internet access is lacking and what needs to be done to fix it.
“Cloudflare’s mission is to help build a better internet, and that means making the internet more accessible to everyone,” said Matthew Prince, Cloudflare’s co-founder and CEO. “Helping UNICEF’s Giga with additional tools to measure and monitor school connectivity all over the world means we’re helping ensure that millions of children can get online and prepare for an increasingly digital world.”
Why school connectivity matters
While the idea of connecting schools might sound straightforward, its impact goes far beyond just letting kids browse the web. Access to the internet is now considered a fundamental part of education – a gateway to knowledge, digital skills and future job opportunities. Without it, children are at a significant disadvantage, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.
“Connecting schools to the internet is an essential part of ensuring all children can access digital learning tools and the information they need to thrive,” said Thomas Davin, Global Director at UNICEF’s Office of Innovation. “Cloudflare will ignite even more power in Giga’s data collection and enable the critical decision-making countries need to plan investments in school connectivity with precision.”
In practical terms, the partnership means that governments and organisations will have access to real-time, transparent data about how well schools are connected. That information can then be used to prioritise funding, improve infrastructure and track progress toward universal connectivity.
A global network powering local change
With data centres in more than 330 cities worldwide, Cloudflare is uniquely positioned to support Giga’s work on a global scale. Its vast network reduces latency and ensures highly accurate, real-time assessments of school connectivity – even in the most remote or underserved regions.
The collaboration is an example of how technology and humanitarian efforts can work hand in hand. By combining Giga’s on-the-ground partnerships with Cloudflare’s advanced digital tools, the initiative hopes to create a world where every child, no matter where they live, has access to the same online opportunities.
While bridging the global digital divide is a monumental challenge, projects like this show that meaningful change is possible when innovation and impact come together. And for millions of children currently being left offline, that change could mean the difference between being excluded from the digital future – and being ready to lead it.
In a world where connection is everything, Cloudflare and UNICEF’s Giga project are proving that bringing every child online isn’t just a technological goal. It’s a moral one – and it’s a step toward a more equal, more connected future for us all.