NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (UPI) — Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans Saturday to bring Internet access to United Nations refugee camps.
Speaking before the UN, Zuckerberg said Internet access will enable refugees from the Syrian civil war to communicate with family and get better support from the aid community while they seek resettlement. He said the access not only helps with communication but also lifts some from poverty. He did not detail how and where Facebook would work with refugee camps.
“It’s not all altruism,” Zuckerberg said later. “We all benefit when we are more connected.”
Zuckerberg’s pledge is the latest move by tech giants including Google to bring Internet connectivity worldwide. If they succeed, billions more people could be connected. Facebook and Google alike have been building technologies to beam Internet connections to remote towns and villages.
“The Internet is more than just a network of machines, it is the key driver of social and economic progress in our time,” Zuckerberg said. “A like or a post won’t stop a tank or a bullet, but when people are connected, we have the chance to build a common global community with a shared understanding.”
