Bridging the Digital Divide: How IEEE’s Connecting the Unconnected Initiative Works

Despite the Internet being essential for modern life—shopping, banking, remote work—nearly 30% of the world’s population remains offline. That’s over 2 billion people, according to a November report from the International Telecommunication Union. To tackle this, IEEE Future Networks launched the Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) program. Since 2021, CTU has been accelerating the development and deployment of 5G, 6G, and beyond. It runs a yearly competition for early-stage connectivity innovations, hosts summits, and fosters mentorship. Here’s a deeper look at how CTU is working to connect the unconnected.

Why are billions still without Internet access, and what is CTU doing about it?

Approximately 2.6 billion people lack Internet access, primarily due to infrastructure gaps, affordability issues, and lack of digital literacy. IEEE Future Networks’ Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) program, launched in 2021, directly addresses this by accelerating the development, standardization, and deployment of next-generation networks (5G/6G). CTU creates a collaborative ecosystem where innovators, academics, nonprofits, and startups can develop and scale solutions. It holds an annual global competition to identify early-stage technologies, organizes summits to discuss strategies, and provides mentorship to winners. The program also partners with the IEEE Standards Association to create guidelines for submitted innovations, ensuring they meet technical and ethical standards. By leveraging IEEE’s global brand, CTU amplifies the visibility of these efforts, helping bridge the digital divide one project at a time.

How does the annual CTU competition work?

The CTU challenge, held yearly, invites innovators from around the world to submit projects that expand Internet access. Typically receiving 200–300 entries annually (245 from 52 countries in the latest cycle), the competition is open to academics, startups, nonprofits, and students. Participants select one of three categories: Technology Applications (new connectivity methods), Business Model (affordability improvements), or Community Enablement (promoting broadband adoption). Within each category, entrants choose between two maturity tracks: proof-of-concept for early-stage functional technologies that have shown results, and conceptual for theoretical projects not yet fully tested. This two-track system ensures both budding ideas and working prototypes get a fair chance. Winners receive mentorship, visibility, and sometimes partnerships with IEEE SA to develop standards for their innovations.

What are the three competition categories, and who should enter each?

The CTU challenge has three distinct categories to cover different aspects of connectivity:

• Technology Applications – for novel connectivity methods or innovations that broaden broadband access, such as new hardware, software, or spectrum solutions.
• Business Model – for projects that improve the affordability of Internet services, like low-cost pricing schemes, shared infrastructure, or innovative financing.
• Community Enablement – for strategies that promote public broadband adoption, including digital literacy programs, community networks, and policy advocacy.

Each category is open to any entrant, but naturally suits different expertise. For example, engineers and researchers might excel in Technology Applications, while social entrepreneurs and NGOs might target Community Enablement. The flexible category system ensures that technical, economic, and social barriers are all addressed.

How did CTU expand its reach last year?

In 2023, CTU significantly scaled its activities to better address local connectivity challenges. Key expansions included:

• Regional summits – focusing on specific geographic connectivity issues, bringing together local experts and community leaders.
• Community-focused events – engaging directly with underserved populations to understand their needs and co-create solutions.
• Expanded mentorship program – offering more sustained support to contest winners and emerging innovators, pairing them with IEEE experts.
• Stronger partnership with IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) – developing guidelines for submitted innovations to help them become viable, standardized products.

These additions complement the existing annual summit and competition, creating a more comprehensive ecosystem that nurtures ideas from conception to deployment. By decentralizing events and deepening mentorship, CTU ensures that local voices shape global connectivity solutions.

What role does the IEEE Standards Association play in CTU?

The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) partners with CTU to help turn innovative submissions into standardized, scalable solutions. When a project wins the competition or shows promise, CTU can connect the innovators with IEEE SA experts who assist in developing technical guidelines and best practices. This not only ensures reliability and interoperability but also accelerates the path to market. For example, a novel rural broadband technology might receive guidance on spectrum use, hardware specs, or data security standards. This partnership leverages IEEE’s respected standardization processes to raise the quality and impact of connectivity projects, making them more likely to be adopted by governments, operators, and communities worldwide.

What is the long-term vision of CTU, and how does it fit with IEEE Future Networks?

CTU is a flagship program under IEEE Future Networks, which aims to create a unified platform for all digital connectivity initiatives. The long-term vision is to end the digital divide by fostering continuous innovation in 5G/6G and beyond. CTU’s cochair, IEEE Life Fellow Sudhir Dixit, emphasizes that the program leverages the IEEE brand to raise visibility for diverse projects, from grassroots community networks to advanced satellite systems. By running annual competitions, summits, and mentorship tracks, CTU builds a pipeline of solutions. The program also feeds into IEEE’s broader goal of advancing technology for humanity. As more people get connected, CTU will adapt to new challenges—like ensuring affordable access, building digital skills, and integrating emerging technologies. Ultimately, it’s about making the Internet a universal right, not a privilege.