unconnected.org

08/06/2026

Following the devastating earthquake in Mindanao, connectivity is rapidly deployed to support emergency response efforts and help keep critical services online.

Thank you to Internet Society Foundation whose support has helped catalyse the connectEMERGENCIES programme, enabling partners to deploy connectivity solutions immediately when disasters strike.

Through this initiative, organisations can rapidly activate communications for emergency operations centres, healthcare facilities, humanitarian responders, schools and affected communities when traditional infrastructure is disrupted.

Our support goes out to A-PAD Philippines, HRN Davao volunteers, the General Santos City partners and everyone involved in getting connectivity where it was needed most.

We remain committed to working with partners around the world to bridge the digital divide and ensure communities can stay connected when they need it most.

02/06/2026

connectFUNDING Grant of the Week - Digital Africa Seed Fund (DASF).

The fund aims to support approximately 30 startups across 20 priority African countries, with an average initial investment of around €300,000 and follow-on funding available for strong performers.

Funding Available:
• Average initial investment: €300,000
• Follow-on investments available up to €2 million for selected startups
• Access to Digital Africa's ecosystem, mentorship, and investor network
• Long-term support designed to help startups reach Series A readiness

Who Should Apply?
• Tech-enabled startups operating in Africa
• Startups that have moved beyond the earliest idea stage and are seeking seed funding for growth
• Companies solving challenges in sectors such as fintech, AI, digital infrastructure, health, climate, agriculture, education, and other innovation-driven industries
• Founders based in underserved African markets are particularly encouraged to apply

Follow unconnected.org for updates on grants and funding available to connect the unconnected.

Learn more and apply here: https://unconnected.org/connectfunding

25/05/2026

connectFUNDING Opportunity of the week

Applications are now open for the Cisco Global Impact Cash Grant Program, which supports NGOs and nonprofits leveraging technology to address significant global challenges.

Funding is available for projects focused on:
• Education
• Crisis response
• Economic empowerment
• Climate resilience

Cisco is particularly interested in innovative, scalable, tech-enabled solutions that assist underserved communities and enhance the reach and efficiency of services. First-time grant recipients may request up to US$100,000 in funding. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through an initial Letter of Inquiry process.

This is a valuable opportunity for organizations engaged in digital inclusion, connectivity, education, community resilience, and rural development projects.

Follow unconnected.org for updates on grants available to connect the unconnected.

Learn more and apply here: https://unconnected.org/connectfunding

23/04/2026

International Girls in ICT Day 2026. A moment to recognise the women stepping forward to lead change in the digital landscape.

In Malawi, women make up 5% of engineers. Computer engineers Eddah Nkhata and Bernadetta Phiri from Tech Bridges To Malawi are part of a narrative shift underway.

A record number of young women are now enrolling in technology courses, breaking through cultural barriers to shape the future of their communities.

At unconnected.org, we know that achieving digital inclusion in the world's most remote regions is impossible without women's voices, ideas, and leadership. Empowering girls in Information and Communication Technology is not about teaching them to code or build infrastructure alone. It is about giving them the tools to design their own futures.

"It's not only about climbing the towers... there is a path for everyone."

To every girl in Malawi and around the world dreaming of a future in tech: there is a place for you here.

Visit https://unconnected.org/blog/girls-in-ictday-2026 to watch the full interview and learn how you can support digital inclusion.

Share this post to inspire a young woman in your network today.

UNICEF Equinix, Inc. ITU

13/04/2026

🇵🇭 We’re hiring in the Philippines!

At unconnected.org, we’re not building short-term connectivity.
We’re building sustainable models that scale access in over 19 countries across schools, healthcare, and communities.

Now we’re looking for someone to help drive this forward in the Philippines.

👉 Impact Marketplace – Offer Development

Are you the one to:

• Source the best connectivity and infrastructure offers for our Impact Marketplace
• Lead negotiations with telecom operators, ISPs, satellite and tech providers
• Turn solutions into scalable, deployable products
• Build partnerships that unlock affordable connectivity at scale

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has 8+ years in telecom or connectivity and great contacts within the Philippines telecom market
• Strong in negotiations and partnerships
• Understands how to turn solutions into real commercial offers
• Is motivated by impact and scale

This is a chance to:

• Work across a global telecom ecosystem
• Shape how connectivity is delivered in the Philippines
• Help bridge the digital divide in a sustainable way

Contractor role | Base + performance bonus

Apply: Careers page: https://unconnected.org/careers or email [email protected]

Let’s build connectivity that scales!

02/04/2026

🚀 Funding Opportunity of the Week

Every week through connectFUNDING, we spotlight grants that support efforts to connect the unconnected. This week, we’re urging anyone who hasn’t yet applied to the GSMA Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile to do so.

Applications close on 6 April, offering £100,000–£200,000 in grant funding to scale solutions across Africa, LATAM, and Asia.
👉 Check out the grant via our connectFUNDING page: https://unconnected.org/global-financing

Or tag someone who should not miss this.

This is for organisations already building, already operating, and ready to grow:
✔ Clean energy powering connectivity
✔ Affordable access and device innovation
✔ Mobile-enabled solutions driving real inclusion

Follow us to stay updated on grants and funding opportunities available for partners bridging the digital divide.

30/03/2026

As the Philippines celebrates Internet Day 🇵🇭, it is a moment to reflect on both progress and the millions still unconnected.
The Konektadong Pinoy Act (RA 12234) marks a major shift, removing barriers, enabling community networks, and opening the market to accelerate last mile connectivity.

At unconnected.org, we see this as a turning point. A move that makes it faster, more affordable, and more sustainable to connect schools, health centres and communities in GIDA areas. We hope to see more countries adopt this approach as they invest in digital inclusion.

Thank you to our Country Manager, Benjz Gerard Sevilla, for capturing this in his latest article. 👉 https://unconnected.org/blog/unlocking-the-power-of-last-mile-digital-economies-2026

The last mile is no longer the end of the network. It is where the digital economy begins.

24/03/2026

🇵🇭 We are at the Philippine Tech Show!

We are on the ground this week and would love to connect with partners, innovators and organisations working to expand digital inclusion.

If you are attending, come meet us and explore how you can save money, earn revenue and unlock funding to deploy connectivity projects.

Let’s talk about:

• Our Impact Marketplace which helps partners reduce deployment costs and access the right connectivity, hardware, software and power solutions in one place
• connectFUNDING, our hub helping partners identify and access funding opportunities for connectivity projects
• Collaborative deployment models that make it commercially viable to connect schools, communities and health centres

We are always looking to work with partners who want to build real, scalable solutions to connect the unconnected.

If you are at the show, send us a message or come find us.

27/02/2026

Launching connectFUNDING! 🚀

One challenge we hear from ISPs, NGOs, ed/medtech partners is: “Where do we find relevant funding to build solutions to connect the unconnected?”

We’ve created connectFUNDING to help 👉 https://unconnected.org/global-financing

connectFUNDING is a curated hub bringing together funding opportunities from around the world in one place, making it easy to find what you need.

Many funding programmes require partnerships, NGO status, or proven impact. At unconnected.org, we work to unlock funding that might otherwise be out of reach.

👉 Follow us as we update the opportunities regularly
👉 Visit the hub each month to see available funding options
👉 Reach out if you want to partner

Access to funding shouldn’t be the barrier to connecting communities.

11/02/2026

We are now live in Tanzania 🇹🇿

unconnected.org and Eutelsat have partnered to deliver affordable connectivity solutions through satellite powered community WiFi.

This is not just about connectivity. It is about commercially viable impact.

Through our Impact Marketplace we are creating a structured platform where:
• Infrastructure, hardware and software providers can list reduced margin impact offers
• ISPs and local partners can access low cost backhaul
• Civic deployments become commercially sustainable
• ROI and digital inclusion exist in the same model

By integrating Eutelsat’s capacity, we are enabling schools, low income communities, health centres, community networks and rural entrepreneurs in Tanzania to deploy reliable connectivity at pricing that makes projects viable in previously unreachable areas.

If you are a satellite operator, fiber provider, OEM or software partner looking to expand into underserved markets through a structured and ROI driven model, let’s talk.

Or if you need connectivity infrastructure or backhaul for impact projects, check out our Impact Marketplace. (Link in the comments).

Impact must scale. And it must make commercial sense.



https://techafricanews.com/2026/02/11/eutelsat-and-unconnected-org-partner-to-expand-community-wi-fi-across-africa/

The partnership will launch in Tanzania, where unconnected.org will introduce the KONNECT community Wi-Fi service to local partners – including ISPs, NGOs, system integrators, and government stakeholders through a commercial model designed to accelerate return on investment, expand digital access ...