TASHKENT/GENEVA, Dec 03 – Uzbekistan has found an innovative way to keep their schools connected to the internet, selling connectivity into local communities and using the income to pay for the connection.
The solution tackles an important challenge in school connectivity: the ongoing monthly costs. Governments can often find ways to cover the initial connection of a school to the internet, including vital infrastructure, but struggle to keep the service running.
If successful, the “school-as-a-hub” model, which aims to extend internet access to neighboring households, could cover hundreds of hard-to-reach schools in Uzbekistan. Giga, a joint initiative by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), helped the Government of Uzbekistan to implement a pilot to test the feasibility of this model.
“Too often, high operational costs quietly stop school connectivity from succeeding,” said Umida Islamova, Giga’s Procurement and Market Development Lead. “But Uzbekistan is leading the way on financial sustainability, benefitting both students and their communities.”
In 2024, the Republic of Uzbekistan was selected as one of six Global Champions to participate in the UNICEF Learning Pioneer Programme, a two-year programme that aims to transform education systems by supporting innovative approaches and scaling up digital learning.
The programme builds on the work from Giga to support the expansion of internet connectivity to almost all schools in the country with speeds of at least 10 Mbps. The mapping and tracking of school connectivity has also supported transparency and accountability of service provision as well as the efficiency of state resources.
Since Uzbekistan adopted its 2030 Digital Strategy, schools have also been equipped with computer labs, while digital devices have also been made available.
Internet connection has therefore been an essential element in transforming Uzbekistan’s system of education.
Using Schools as Connectivity Hubs
Rather than connecting remote communities by building entirely new infrastructure, Uzbekistan has been piloting the use of fixed wireless technology to broadcast internet from school rooftops to the surrounding areas. With local communities paying for some of the internet costs, schools can stay connected without paying the higher recurring costs.
The model is expected to break even by the end of 2025 and is already being seen as a way to reach more schools and more communities—without pressuring education budgets any further.
“This is the kind of thinking that makes digital transformation possible at scale,” said Regina Maria Castillo, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan. “Connectivity isn’t just a service—it’s a pathway to skills, jobs, and opportunity for young people.”
Governments face similar challenges in Africa, where the cost to connect the continent’s schools is valued at USD 6 billion in Capex and at least USD 550 million Opex per year. It is a daunting figure, especially when the recurring expenses are added. But experience shows that a competitive procurement process can help to drop those costs significantly.
In Giga’s initial phase, UNICEF procurement experts have helped to reduce internet costs for schools by as much as 60 percent, using proven tactics to attract private sector interest and increase competition.
“When UNICEF supports a country on connectivity, we don’t just look at the technical solution—we bring decades of procurement experience,” said Jaime Archundia, Giga’s Procurement and Market Development Lead. “Our goal is to make it easier, faster, and more affordable for governments to act at scale.”
The impact goes far beyond internet access. With the right devices and training, connected schools help young people build the digital skills they need to participate in today’s economy.
Inspired by the Uzbek model, countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe are also exploring community-powered models. And with technologies like satellite and solar helping to overcome the infrastructure barriers, the momentum for connection is building.
“Schools are often at the center of villages,” said Joelle Ayite, UNICEF’s Chief of Education in Zimbabwe. “They already bring people together, but with access to the internet they are also anchors for learning, connection, and progress.”
For Giga and its partners, the message is simple: school connectivity is not a luxury—it’s a foundation for the future.
“What began as a school connectivity effort,” Archundia said, “is now a community development strategy.”