3G to Benefit Under-served Communities in Nepal and Vietnam

Qualcomm and Room to Read, a nonprofit organization has established wireless computer labs with 3G CDMA broadband Internet connectivity for rural schools in Nepal and Vietnam. Each lab includes 20-25 computers and serves as many as 50 students during a class period. In addition to providing training for students to learn basic computer skills, each lab also plans to use technology to teach other subjects such as English, math and science. “Access to online resources and educational materials can have a life-changing impact on students. Not only will they have connectivity that enables access to learning materials and communities for the first time, but they will also have the opportunity to gain specialized skills and training,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. Qualcomm and Room to Read are working with Nepal Telecom and S-Fone in Nepal and Vietnam, respectively, to provide broadband connectivity in schools. Through the provisioning of affordable, high-quality and reliable Internet connectivity to government schools where land-line access is limited or unavailable, the wireless lab project helps under-served students bridge the digital divide and addresses the goal of universal access and opportunity in education.