unconnected.org launches network operators partnership at APRICOT

The Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (APRICOT) 2026 held at Jakarta, Indonesia brought together key stakeholders in the internet ecosystem in the region, with various country network operator groups (NOG) in attendance. 

The joint effort of the Philippine Network Operators Group (PhNOG) and unconnected.org supported Project Resilient Education Information Infrastructure for the New Normal (REIINN) of the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology - Advanced Science and Technology Institute, wherein PhNOG provided catalytic funding to establish the community network, and DOST ASTI did the implementation at selected last-mile community school.

[Credit photos to APRICOT]

The beneficiary site is at Tineg, Abra, Northern Luzon, Philippines, a village situated in a valley, with around 60 households within 3 minutes from Tapayen Elementary School, whose primary source of income is farming and with indigenous population. Said project details and impact were presented before the APRICOT community. 

unconnected.org Technology and Support Manager Jessieca Baris joined the event as one of the select few Masterclass Fellows. She said “...given the diverse backgrounds of APRICOT attendees from the telecommunications industry, network operators, research and development sector, academic and literary science, and others, there is plenty of opportunity to establish potential collaborations and partnerships.”

[Credit photos to APRICOT]

Internet Society, Internet Society Foundation, APNIC, APNIC Foundation, Sonic Networks, InfiniVan, Eastern Communications, and several unconnected.org partners were also present in APRICOT 2026.

“...I am more determined in reaching out to hyperlocal operators, providing them training on various topics, and acknowledging their role in making networking relevant to the users of connectivity. After all, the value of the Internet is derived from how the users are able to make it a meaningful tool in their lives,” she added.
Digital equity and creating opportunities for meaningful access is a shared responsibility. Whether in Asia Pacific, in Latin America, or Africa, various connectivity, financing, device, training and offers are available at the unconnected.org Impact Marketplace, making it a one-stop shop for solutions that organizations may avail to connect the unconnected.