Information and communication technology (ICT) giant Huawei’s long-term digital inclusion initiative, Tech4All, aims to unlock digital technology access for about 500-million people in the next five years through the three focus areas of technology and connectivity, applications and skills.

Promoting inclusive development, Huawei’s four domains of education, healthcare, environment and development will aim to digitally include “every person, home and organisation” amid the development of the digital era.

“Digital gaps still exist and we want to make sure that everyone can benefit from digital technology, and that everyone has a place in the future intelligent world,” says Huawei deputy chairperson Ken Hu.

Earlier this year, Hu announced tentative plans for the programme, noting that it was a work in progress, but that the outcomes were clear: they promote digital inclusion for both individuals and organisations by focusing efforts on connectivity, applications and skills.

Digital skills remain a “huge” gap in all markets, he explained, announcing that Huawei would move forward with the initiative, with plans in place to work with governments, local communities and other industries to enhance digital skills at all levels.

He points out that, by 2020, 90% of jobs in the European Union, for example, will require some form of digital skills, but, currently, 43% of people lack basic digital skills such as searching for information online.

He further cites examples of the many cities in which the elderly might be unable to hail a taxi on the street, as taxis are now often booked through mobile phone applications.

“In Bangladesh, women do not have many opportunities to learn about computers. On the Comoros, until two years ago, the inhabitants were isolated from the outside world, because they had no communications network,” he continues.

“Technology should not sit in an ivory tower. Instead, it should benefit all humanity. We firmly believe that digital technology will benefit every person, home and organisation,” says Hu.

Digital inclusion means every individual and organisation can equally access and use ICT.

These benefits are not limited to connectivity, but also include technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the cloud and smart devices, as well as the related applications and skills.

Under the technology priority, Huawei will continuously reduce connection costs and remove coverage barriers through technological innovation in connectivity, AI, cloud and mobile devices.

Within applications, Huawei will empower ecosystems and help developers create more applications for different communities and industries, and, with the skills aspect, Huawei will work with local governments, communities and other sectors to enhance the digital skills of all of society.

“We must have a clear direction if we want to leverage what we have to create value,” Hu says.

While determining the direction for Tech4All, Huawei took into consideration its available capabilities and viable directions based on the potential impact of the ICT industry and the meaning of digital inclusion.

Huawei also identified the four domains – healthcare, education, development and environment – in which it could comprehensively promote digital inclusion and keep efforts focused and impactful, Hu explains.

The group is working with many international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to address problems related to healthcare, education, development and the environment on a much bigger scale.

“We are going to use digital technology to give more people access to better healthcare and education resources, promote balanced economic opportunities for all people and businesses and help organisations, particularly NGOs, better protect the planet,” he adds.

This includes a partnership with medical research lab IIS Aragon and research centre Dive, in Spain, to develop a new medical device that can detect visual impairment in young children.

In Kenya, Huawei is working with organisations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and Belgium-based nonprofit organisation Close the Gap to convert cargo containers into mobile, digital classrooms that provide digital skills training for teachers, women and young entrepreneurs in remote rural regions in Africa.

In tropical rainforests, Huawei is working with Rainforest Connection to convert a huge number of used Huawei mobile phones into solar-powered, AI-driven devices that will monitor the rainforests to identify the sounds of trucks and electric saws that are illegally felling trees.

To date, Huawei has ensured smooth communications for more than three-billion people around the world and supported the stable operations of more than 1 500 networks in more than 170 countries and regions.