Microsoft Commends State Department Global Connect Initiative

Microsoft praised the U.S. State Department's Global Connect initiative, which seeks to connect 1.5 billion individuals across the globe to the Internet by 2020 (see 1509280046). In a company blog post Monday, Paul Mitchell, Microsoft tech policy senior director, called the new initiative an "ambitious effort" and "remarkable," especially against the backdrop of the U.N.'s newly announced sustainable development goals. Mitchell also said Microsoft plans to engage in the State Department's new program. "By working together as part of the Global Connect initiative, we can enable these benefits for those not yet connected," he said. Microsoft joins a bevy of industry groups and businesses that have vocalized support for Global Connect, with some observers calling it overly ambitious.