Cisco said that it is working with Goolge on its Google Station initiative which aims to connect digitally marginalized communities with public Wi-Fi. Under this partnership, Cisco will offer the networking technology, finance and other support to the project.
“We chose to work with Cisco on the Google Station initiative because they offer the networking technology, finance capabilities and global reach to enable sustainable public Wi-Fi,” Mahesh Bhalerao, global director of partnerships, Next Billion Users at Google.
The company said that nearly half of the world’s population remain unconnected, restricting their inclusion in economic growth opportunities. Nearly 10 percent of the world’s population continues to struggle for basic needs daily, making it critical for partnerships between technology leaders, public, and private sectors.
Infrastructure and scalability issues, market and regulatory support, and sustainability challenges have all contributed to this glaring issue. In order to make Wi-Fi a sustainable business for ISPs, venues, and governments in these communities, Cisco and Google Station intend to work together to provide access to capital via Cisco financing, simplify operations by combining Cisco networking technology and integration services with Google network management and improve experience through highly reliable Wi-Fi that’s easy to access.
“We are excited to partner with Google Station, ISPs, and governments to connect one billion people to new economic opportunities,” said Scott Harrell, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Networking Business, Cisco. “By making public Wi-Fi sustainable, we are breaking down the barriers to widespread wireless access.”
