Wireless Reach Celebrates 10 Years of Impact
By Angela Baker
I am very proud to say that Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ is celebrating 10 years of innovative programs that use advanced wireless technologies to transform the lives of people in underserved communities globally. By serving as a corporate citizenship model for achieving a healthier, more educated, more prosperous and sustainable world, Wireless Reach demonstrates how mobile technology is having a positive impact on social and economic development.
Our numbers tell a powerful story.
To date, nearly 10 million people have directly or indirectly benefitted from Wireless Reach programs that foster entrepreneurship, aid in public safety, enhance the delivery of health care, enrich teaching and learning, and improve environmental sustainability.
Our portfolio includes 114 programs in 46 countries.
Together, with the more than 650 public and private organizations we collaborate with, we have invested more than $80 million USD in these programs.
The Wireless Reach team is proud of our impact and inspired to continue our hard work. Here’s why. Through our programs, we visit many communities in emerging regions where geographic, socioeconomic, educational and cultural barriers have historically obstructed progress. Places where pregnant women die of preventable causes because they lack access to pre-natal care and treatment. Places where girls need access to an education that could set them on a path to a better future for themselves, their families and communities. Places where men and women lack the resources to start or grow a business that could lift their families and communities out of poverty.
We are inspired because we know that Qualcomm’s innovations offer solutions to each of these challenges.
Advanced wireless technologies are so prevalent that they’re breaking down these barriers. Mobile technology is a key tool that will help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the social and economic priorities of governments around the world.
Through Wireless Reach programs, our team takes action to address some of the world’s most pressing problems while aligning strategically with Qualcomm’s business goals. Below are a few examples which, I hope, serve as inspiration to other organizations:
In Morocco, our Mobile Ultrasound Patrol program uses portable ultrasound devices, dongles, mobile devices and 3G connectivity to improve care for pregnant women through early detection and treatment of major causes of maternal mortality. Mobile technology has cut diagnostic review time from two weeks to 24 hours, slashed the cost of an ultrasound by 98 percent, and dramatically increased local medical practitioners’ skills in delivering high-quality ultrasounds for diagnostic purposes.
In Myanmar, the Connect to Learn program provides 3G-enabled laptops and tablets, wireless connectivity and cloud-based educational content and resources to secondary schools in very resource-poor communities. The aim is to improve learning outcomes and develop the information and communications technology (ICT) skills of more than 21,000 students, half of whom are underserved girls, by 2017. This program has also awarded 600 scholarships to help deserving female students stay in school. Our team hopes this effort will provide a blueprint for effective ICT programs in schools, reverse the tide of girls dropping out of school and better prepare girls for joining the workforce after graduation.
Fishing programs in India, Brazil, Colombia and Senegal use smartphones with GPS and customized mobile apps to empower traditional fishermen to improve their safety and increase their productivity and incomes. To date, these programs have collectively served an estimated 10,000 beneficiaries and resulted in average monthly income increases as high as 266 percent.
We are thrilled with the success to date and very excited about the future. We look forward to taking existing programs to the next level, scaling programs to extend our reach and adding new programs to our portfolio — deepening our impact on the world and solidifying Qualcomm’s role as a good corporate citizen.
