Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has announced it has outdone its pledge to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Partner2Connect (PSC) Digital Coalition to connect 170 million people in remote areas across over 80 countries.


“I think we still have a gap to fill,” Jeff Wang, President of Huawei Public Affairs and Communications told attendees of Huawei’s TECH Cares Forum in Barcelona. “We have over 300 million who still live beyond mobile coverage and cannot access the services of the digital age. Connectivity isn’t enough, even in Europe and other developed regions we see a lack of basic digital skills [especially among the elderly] – even wider in developing nations, in some places below 20%. … These people are gradually being left behind.”


Huawei’s original commitment, made by company CEO of ICT BG, Yang Chaobin, when it joined the ITU P2C Digital Coalition in 2022, was to connect 120 million people by 2025. The company enthused that its method has been to center inclusive connectivity and digital skills empowerment, partnering with government and organizations to support student, youth, the elderly, and women through three projects: digital access, digital skills, and nurturing STEM subjects.


Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, spoke at the event, honoring Huawei’s achievements. “Connecting the rural and underserved communities requires innovative business models, inclusivity and the effective use of communication resources as well as community engagement, and sustained investment in local capacity,” he said. “I applaud Huawei’s commitment to universal and meaningful connectivity, and I am proud of our strong and successful partnership.”


Since 2019, Huawei’s Skills of Wheels initiative has provided digital training to over 130,000 people in 21 countries, targeting the underserved. The company’s new RuralCow solutions, launched in November 2025 intends to enable connectivity at even lower price points by functioning without satellites, and generating its own power through onboard solar.


RuralCow has currently extended coverage to villages of around 1,500 residents with the support of MTN Nigeria.


Enthusiasm around AI technologies abounded during presentations, with participants confident that the technology would serve as a multiplier across many industries, and that proficiency in computer literacy was essential as such a vast industrial overhaul approached.

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