Event marking the first anniversary of the Giga Island launch held on Moheshkhali Island, Bangladesh on the 10th.

KT announced that it held an event on Moheshkhali Island in Bangladesh to mark the first anniversary of the launch of Giga Island and shared the achievements of the past year locally.

The event, jointly organized by the Bangladesh Ministry of ICT, KT, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was attended by approximately 500 people, including KT Senior Vice President of Sustainable Management Jeong Myeong-gon, KT Group Hope Sharing Foundation Head Kang Hyun-jung, IOM Representative Peppi K. Siddiq, Mohammad Abul Kalam, and the regent of Moheshkhali Island. The event featured celebratory performances, the screening of project videos, and awards for contributing organizations, while also allowing attendees to witness firsthand the changes in the island residents' lives through testimonials from Giga Island beneficiaries.

'Giga Story' is KT's Creating Shared Value (CSV) project that improves the living environment of residents in island and mountainous regions by applying ICT solutions to Giga infrastructure. Bangladesh Giga Island is the first overseas Giga Story, launched in late April last year through the combined efforts of the private and public sectors, including the Bangladesh Ministry of ICT, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and local non-governmental organizations.

Through the Giga Story, remote villages with poor geographical locations, infrastructure, and slow economic development are seeing improvements in overall island life, including communication, education, medical care, and the economy, by adopting Giga networks and ICT solutions. In particular, it is receiving favorable reviews for solving social problems based on ICT in line with the Bangladeshi government's national development policy, 'Digital Bangladesh 2021,' and for presenting a self-sustaining development model for residents rather than a 'handout-style' approach.

Learning computers at an IT-equipped village hall and studying via the internet

Before the launch of Giga Island, Moheshkhali Island had poor infrastructure, making internet access difficult, and the available internet speed was only 0.2 Mbps. Now, thanks to KT's network construction and support, users can access internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

An average of about 100 residents and tourists visit the village hall 'IT Space,' where public Wi-Fi is provided, daily to use the wireless internet. The Bangladesh Ministry of Welfare operates a three-month computer class for residents at the IT Space, and hundreds of residents have completed the course. Additionally, students use the internet at the IT Space to do their homework and engage in advanced learning through video lectures.

KT has provided its video conferencing solution, 'K-Box,' to elementary schools on Moheshkhali Island and is operating the program in partnership with the Jaago Foundation, a local organization specializing in video education. Last year, a total of approximately 1,200 students from three elementary schools received video education, and the academic performance of the students receiving the education continues to improve. This year, KT expanded the video education program to 10 schools and distributed 50 used computers donated by the National Information Society Agency (NIA) to the teachers.

Rabiul Hossain, a teacher at Pokiragona Public School, said, “Since there are many students, the Internet is very valuable for teaching efficiently.” “Previously, we conducted classes using only textbooks because PCs and internet connections were limited. Now that we can prepare a wealth of materials online and utilize them during class, the students’ response has been very positive,” he said.

Young entrepreneurs conducting direct online transactions, patients receiving medical consultations via mobile devices

KT, in collaboration with KOICA, is supporting the e-commerce businesses of local young entrepreneurs by establishing online sites to pioneer distribution channels for agricultural products. Previously, residents of the island distributed their produce by paying high commissions to middlemen due to limited market price information and the physical constraints of being on an island. However, with the introduction of direct online trading, dried fish, a specialty of Moheshkhali Island, is generating more than three times the net profit compared to the past, as there are no middlemen margins.

Through an online site, residents of Moheshkhali Island are conducting pilot transactions targeting customers in the capital, Dhaka, and plan to expand sales to customers across Bangladesh starting at the end of this year.

Young entrepreneur Mohammad Yousuf stated, “I am striving to persuade farmers unfamiliar with online trading and to secure high-quality products. I want not only to guarantee fair profits for producers but also to promote Moheshkhali products to the whole world.”

KT is diagnosing and managing the health of residents on Moheshkhali Island, where medical infrastructure is severely lacking, by providing 'mobile ultrasound machines' and 'blood analyzers'. Due to the characteristics of Islamic culture, about 150 patients per month, including pregnant women who refrain from going out, are receiving appropriate medical care through mobile ultrasound without having to travel to the mainland.

Dr. Mohammad Sazzad Hossain Chowdhury, a doctor at the only general hospital on Moheshkhali Island, said, “Last year, we discovered early that the baby of a pregnant woman complaining of abdominal pain was lying upside down, and after transferring her to a higher-level hospital, she was able to give birth safely. This is an essential service for Moheshkhali Island, where there is an absolute shortage of doctors.”

Mohammad Abul Kalam, the regent of Moheshkhali Island in Bangladesh, said, “Giga Island was a dream we wanted to realize. Now that we have access to city-quality internet on our island, activities that were unimaginable a few years ago are taking place. I am grateful for the support we have received and will strive to ensure that more residents can benefit from Giga Island.”

Public Wi-Fi Launched in Cambodia, Underprivileged Groups Also Access Free Giga Wi-Fi

Meanwhile, KT is expanding its global reach by providing ICT technology support in Cambodia. On the 9th, KT and the Cambodian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications held an opening ceremony for public Wi-Fi at Hun Sen National Park in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This project, a collaboration between KT, the Cambodian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and Telecom Cambodia, was carried out for marginalized groups, such as low-income families, who had limited internet access due to high data rates. With this, anyone can use the gigabit Wi-Fi installed in a total of approximately 37,000 pyeong of national parks, including Hun Sen Park and the Royal Palace Park area located in downtown Phnom Penh, for free.

Cambodia's Minister of Post and Telecommunications Tram Iv Tek, Telecom Cambodia Chairman Sok Puthyvuth, Ambassador to Cambodia Oh Nak-young, KT President and Head of Business Planning Koo Hyun-mo, KT Senior Vice President and Head of Sustainable Management Lee Sun-joo, and approximately 1,000 Cambodian citizens attended the event to celebrate the launch of public Wi-Fi. KT also attracted the attention of locals with a celebratory performance featuring drones and Dash robots. In addition, KT plans to support students' remote education in Cambodia by supplying 'K-Box,' a GiGA Genie collaborative video conferencing solution, to three schools located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Lee Seon-ju, Senior Vice President and Head of KT’s Sustainable Management Group, stated, “The ‘Giga Story’ initiative, launched domestically in October 2014, has generated various touching stories, and we are also demonstrating remarkable results in Bangladesh through harmony with various organizations. Moving forward, KT, as a national enterprise, will fulfill its role as a private delegation through various global social contribution projects, including those in Cambodia.”