Giga Connectivity Forum

Programme

Our three-day programme spotlights Giga’s core activities and two centres, with knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities throughout:

Monday, 8 July 2024

18:00 – 20:00 
WELCOME RECEPTION  

Venue : RESTAURANT CERCLE DU RHÔNE. Rue de Saint-Jean 98, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland) 

Informal gathering for country delegations, international experts and ITU and UNICEF teams.

Tuesday, 9 July 2024

Location: ITU Headquarters, Geneva
Entrance through the Montbrillant Building: 2 rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland 

SEGMENT I – GIGA OVERVIEW & COUNTRY PRESENTATIONS
Venue: Popov Room 

08:00 – 09:00 
Badging at ITU Montbrillant Building Entrance  

09:00 – 09:15 
Welcome and Opening  

• Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General
• Thomas Davin, Director, Office of Innovation, UNICEF 
• Cosmas Zavazava, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU

09:15 – 09:45 
Destination 2030: Giga Vision and Outlook

• Voices From the Field: Video Testimony From Honduras
• Alex Wong, Giga Co-Lead, General Secretariat, ITU
• Chris Fabian, Giga Co-Lead, Office of Innovation, UNICEF

09:45 – 10:20  
Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities From the Countries Engaged With Giga

Part I: The Experiences of Giga’s Earliest Country Partners  

This session will allow Giga’s earliest country partners to share Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities on their journey towards school connectivity.

With the participation of: 

• Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) 
• El Salvador 
• Honduras 
• Kenya 
• Niger 
• Rwanda 
• Sierra Leone 

 Co-Chaired by:

• Cleveland Thomas, ITU Area Representative, Caribbean
• Cinthia Acka-Douabele, Chief Education, UNICEF Benin

10:20 – 10:30 
Special Remarks by His Excellency Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and other Organizations in Geneva

10:30 – 11:00 
Coffee Break in the Foyer of the Popov Room

11:00 – 12:30 
Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities from the Countries Engaged With Giga (Part II) 

Organized by region, this session will allow countries to share Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities on their journey towards school connectivity. 

11:00 – 11:40 
A: Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities From Africa 

• Benin
• Botswana 
• Guinea 
• Lesotho 
• Namibia 
• Sao Tome & Principe 
• Zimbabwe 

Co-Chaired by :

• Christine Sund, Senior Adviser, ITU Regional Office for Africa
• Ibrahima Guimba Saidou, Senior Advisor, Giga, UNICEF

11:40 – 12:15 
B:  Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities From Latin America and the Caribbean  

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belize
• Dominican Republic 
• Grenada 
• Trinidad & Tobago 
• Brazil 
• Panama 

Chaired by:

• Miguel Alcaine, Area Representative, Central America, ITU

12:15 – 12:35 
C:  Key Learnings, Challenges and Priorities From Europe and Central Asia

• Bosnia & Herzegovina 
• Kyrgyzstan
• Mongolia
• Uzbekistan 

Chaired by 

• Farid Nakhli, Programme Coordinator, CIS, ITU

 12:45 – 13:45 Networking Lunch in the Foyer of the Popov Room 

SEGMENT II – WORKING SESSIONS ON CORE GIGA PROGRAM AREAS: MAP, MODEL, FINANCE, CONTRACT, CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Venue: 2nd floor of Montbrillant building 

13:50 – 14:00 
Spotlight Session on “The Web: Weaved From the Internet and Open Science” by Dr. Tim Smith, Head of International Relations for IT, CERN  

Tim will focus his inspiring 10-minute talk on two different building blocks:  

• The mindsets that lead to the open-source nature of the web. 
• The open science platforms that CERN has created to accelerate collaboration on global challenges. 

14:00 – 14:15 
Introduction to the Giga Model: Map, Model, Finance, Contract, Capacity Development 

Brief introduction that explains the format and topics of the next session

14:20 – 17:30 
Coffee & Tea Available During the Breakout Sessions at Montbrillant Lobby Ground Floor, Grab and Go Station 

14:20 – 17:30 

 
Giga Product Showcase: Map, Model, Finance, Contract and Capacity Development for School Connectivity 

Through three rounds of 50 minute breakout sessions, attendees will get a deeper look at the Giga Products ready for deployment and an opportunity to discuss their own challenges and priorities in each case. 

• Breakout Session 1 on Map  
• Breakout Session 2 on Model 
• Breakout Session 3 on Finance  
• Breakout Session 4 on Contract  
• Breakout Session 5 on Capacity Development 

17:30-18:00 
Transfer by coach to the Reception – Departure from Montbrillant building

18:00 – 20:00 
RECEPTION  

Hosted by the Swiss Government and Canton de Genève at the Residence of the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva 

Venue: Villa Saladin, 2 Plateau de Frontenex, 1224 Cologny, Switzerland

20:00 – 20:45 
Transfer by coach from the Residence of the Swiss UN Mission Representative to Cornavin Geneva Train Station 

Wednesday, 10 July 2024

Location: ITU Headquarters, Geneva
Entrance through the Montbrillant Building: 2 rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland 

07:30 – 09:00 
Badging at ITU Montbrillant Building Entrance 

07:45 – 08:45 
Breakfast roundtable: Focus on connectivity in Africa

“The Impact of Collaboration: Harnessing the African Union’s Year of Education to Scale-Up School Connectivity Across the Continent.” (invitation only for African constituents) 

This session will encourage knowledge-sharing and discussion among African stakeholders to advance the goal of universal school connectivity. Highlighting successful collaborations like the one between Giga, UNECA and Smart Africa, we will explore how to adapt these models for wider impact. We will delve into Giga’s activities and their benefits, while African delegations will share experiences on overcoming infrastructure hurdles, developing sustainable financing models and ensuring equitable internet access for all schools. Our goal is to identify best practices to accelerate progress towards bridging the digital divide across Africa.

SEGMENT II: CONTINUATION – WORKING SESSIONS ON CORE GIGA PROGRAMME AREAS: MAP, MODEL, FINANCE, CONTRACT, CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 

09:00 – 12:30 
2nd floor of Montbrillant building 

09:00 – 11:00 
Giga Product Showcase: Map, Model, Finance, Contract and Capacity Development for School Connectivity 

Through two rounds of 50 minute breakout sessions, participants will get a deeper look at Giga Products ready for deployment. 

 

11:00 – 11:30 
Coffee Break at Montbrillant Lobby Area, Grab and Go Station 

11:30 – 12:20
Giga Product Showcase: Map, Model, Finance, Contract and Capacity Development for School Connectivity: Conclusions and Wrap-Up

12:20 – 12:30
Spotlight Session

12.30 – 13.30
Networking Lunch at Montbrillant 2nd Floor 

SEGMENT III – SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS FOR SCHOOL CONNECTIVITY  

13:30 – 15:30 
2nd floor of Montbrillant building  

13:30 – 15:30 
Sustainable Business Models for School Connectivity  

This session will explore ideas, policies and practices to help ensure the financing for school connectivity is sustainable, affordable and adopts a whole-of-government approach. 

15:30 -16:00 
Coffee Break at Montbrillant Lobby Area, Grab and Go Station 

SEGMENT IV- SPECIAL TOPICS 

16:00 – 17:30 
1st and 2nd floor of Montbrillant building 

16:00 -17:00 
SEGMENT IV- SPECIAL TOPICS 

These special topics, though not part of the Giga programme, are critical if Giga is to help achieve the broader outcomes enabled by universal school connectivity.

16:00 -17:00 
Sessions in parallel:  

Session 1: Safe Digital Connectivity for Children and Schools at Room K1 (1rst floor of the Montbrillant building)

The session will bring unique knowledge, insights and expert voices from the Safe Online portfolio of grantees and key partners, including highlights about multistakeholder collaborations. Panelists will share the latest insights on trends, safety policies, successful strategies and future visions to ensure children are safe in a world of universally connected schools. The conversation will be framed to promote exchange and alignment between different perspectives and agendas. Key points and potential opportunities will be shared with participants after the event to facilitate further engagement.

16:00 -17:00 
Sessions in parallel:  

Session 2 Redefining Access: Strategic Approaches to Connectivity Adoption and Device Affordability at Room K2 (1st floor of the Montbrillant building)

Bridging the digital divide demands a comprehensive and holistic strategy that encompasses financing, education, regulation and beyond. Enhancing smartphone adoption is crucial in this endeavor, and numerous organizations are dedicating their efforts to this cause, aiming to secure a prosperous digital future for all. 

During the session, participants will delve into the challenges and opportunities in the field of device affordability and connectivity adoption. This encounter will provide an interactive platform for the audience to discuss strategies and necessary steps to ensure device affordability. Don’t miss this collaborative session, designed to pave pathways towards enhanced accessibility, thereby empowering individuals and communities worldwide.

16:00 -17:00 
Sessions in parallel:  

Session 3: The Power of Soft Infrastructure: The Case for DPI for Education at 2nd floor of Montbrillant building 

This event delves into the concept of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Education, a framework proposed in the paper “The Case for DPI 4 Education” by ITU and collaborators, which explores the potential of DPI to address the challenges and opportunities of digital learning. 

While Giga focuses on connecting schools to the internet (physical infrastructure), true educational transformation requires more. DPI, or “soft infrastructure,” provides the essential digital building blocks to create effective learning ecosystems in the 21st century. The interactive workshop will explore the potential of DPI 4 Education in countries where Giga is active.

17:00 -17:10 
Spotlight Session

17.10 -17.30 
Giga Connectivity Forum Closing Session at 2nd floor of Montbrillant building 

Further details on speakers and individual session flows will be provided shortly.