Education

UNESCO reports that 250 million of the 650 million primary school aged children in the world haven’t learned to read or count. Satellite connectivity can help students without physical access to schools or teachers to benefit from a wealth of high-quality educational materials. 

In recent years, the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) has partnered with the country of Nepal to launch teacher training via satellite. Hewlett Packard corporation installed 48 digital learning labs across rural India, and Khula Education, a philanthropic initiative, expanded satellite broadband to rural primary schools in South Africa during COVID-19 lockdowns. Now constellations like Starlink, with thousands of individual satellites, offer the promise of worldwide broadband access and remote learning. 

The expansion of satellite networks bridges gaps in public health, infrastructure, and education resources - improving reading and writing rates. Space matters because children around the world will have more equitable access to education.

References:

1. Khula Education