ShareRing Partners with Unconnected.org To Bring the Next 1 Billion Users Online

Unconnected.org is a social enterprise headquartered in the United Kingdom seeking to bring people without internet access online. Through this partnership, the objective is to get the next billion users online while enhancing their experience using reusable identities offered by ShareRing.

Specifically, the two will leverage each other’s strengths towards achieving this grand goal. By using ShareRing’s digital identity systems, for example, it would be possible to create a frictionless digital experience. Subsequently, this can be used to onboard as many users to the internet as possible, as per the Unconnected.org mission-vision statement.

The UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approximates that over 37% of the world population, or around 3 billion people, is offline. 

From this figure, 96% have yet to access the live web from any supported device. It is further estimated that over 75 percent of the people in the 46 least developed countries don’t have access to the internet. 

However, from 2019 through 2021, the ITU noted that there were over 800 million who were connected to the internet mainly because of the COVID Boost. Even with this, their access is infrequent, and they primarily use shared devices with poor internet connectivity. 

Unconnected.org is in the driving seat, ensuring that this change and more people are brought online and allowed to explore the many opportunities available. According to Houlin Zhao, the secretary general of the ITU, the goal is to ensure that “no one is left behind”.

Based on this rallying call, Unconnected.org and ShareRing are joining forces to ensure everyone has internet access and ready digital identities. ShareRing technology will ensure that onboarded users can easily verify their identity and readily access critical information.

Stewart Smith, Global Head of Sales and Marketing at ShareRing, said:

“We are excited to support Unconnected.org and embark on this journey to create a more connected and accessible digital world. Opportunities can be limitless on the internet. For the communities we support, it all begins with providing the necessities for internet access and digital identities.”

By integrating ShareRing’s technology, users would easily verify their identity while having control of critical documents, including passports and national identities. This deal, ShareRing added, is the first of helping Unconnected.org realize its overarching objective.

Early this month, ShareRing released the alpha version of VQL. This web-based platform enables users and businesses seamlessly exchange information from the end-user’s ShareRing’s non-custodial vault.