Billions of people remain excluded from the AI-driven digital economy, not because of a lack of devices or applications, but because of limited basic connectivity. Speaking from the Tech Cares forum in Barcelona, Huawei is addressing that gap through measurable commitments under the ITU Partner2Connect framework. The company announced it has connected 170 million people in rural and underserved communities in more than 80 countries, exceeding its original pledge with ITU by 50 million. The focus is not on upgrading existing users, but on bringing entirely new populations online.
Huawei’s approach centers on long-term infrastructure deployment, including base stations, backhaul and the physical foundations required to deliver reliable network access in remote regions. Alongside infrastructure, the emphasis also includes digital skills training to enable meaningful participation in the global digital economy. As AI reshapes industries and societies, initiatives like this reinforce a core reality: digital transformation begins with connectivity. Before advanced applications, cloud platforms or AI services can scale, resilient and accessible networks must exist. This effort positions connectivity not as a mature utility, but as a continuing global development priority.
Steve Saunders:
So, I'm here in Barcelona at the TECH Cares Forum, which is focused on closing the connectivity gap for billions of people still excluded from the AI-driven digital economy. Huawei is here, and it's highlighting its work under the ITU's Partner to Connect framework, which requires measurable commitments to connect the unconnected, not just upgrade existing users.
The goal here is to expand network access in remote areas and provide the training needed for people to truly participate in this new global digital economy. Here, Huawei announced that it has actually exceeded its pledge to connect by 50 million, so that’s a total of 170 million people in remote areas.
The emphasis is on long-term infrastructure deployment, building base stations, backhaul, and the physical foundations of connectivity in regions where access has historically been limited.
As AI continues to reshape the global economy, efforts like these highlight that meaningful digital transformation still begins with basic, reliable connectivity.