Microsoft awards grant to Tribal Digital Village and Numbers4Health to expand internet access and solutions for rural and underserved communities in California

The grant will provide broadband access and telehealth solutions in Valley Center and Compton, California

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Aug 01, 2018, 09:00 ET

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Microsoft Corp. announced it selected Tribal Digital Village and Numbers4Health as winners of its third annual Airband Grant Fund to help bring broadband internet access to rural and underserved communities. As two of eight winners, Tribal Digital Village (TDVNet) will help bring broadband to tribal land in the rural community of Valley Center, California, and Numbers4Health will deploy a solution in partnership with internet service providers to help support telemedicine and improve healthcare outcomes in Compton, California. The Airband Grant Fund is part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative, which aims to help close the broadband access gap in rural America by 2022.

"Tribal Digital Village and Numbers4Health are working to ensure the citizens of Valley Center and Compton have the broadband access they need to connect and compete with their more urban neighbors and access critical telehealth solutions," said Shelley McKinley, Microsoft's head of Technology and Corporate Responsibility. "Their use of innovative technologies like TV white spaces will help address the broadband and healthcare gap in California."

The Microsoft Airband Grant Fund seeks to spark innovation to overcome barriers to affordable internet access, through support of high-potential, early-stage startups creating innovative new technologies, services and business models. This year's grantees receive cash investments, access to technology, mentoring and networking opportunities.

"It's truly a benefit when a corporation such as Microsoft focuses on scaling the reach of new technologies, like TV white spaces, to solve for the hardest-to-reach tribal communities," said Matthew Rantanen, director, TDVNet. "Microsoft's investment in projects that are uniquely solving these connectivity issues on the ground, like TDVNet, is essential in stimulating creativity and permanently fixing the broadband access gap."

"The best way to manage healthcare costs and improve health outcomes is to treat injury and illness as fast as possible," said Peg Molloy, managing director, Numbers4Health. "Numbers4Health puts health information software and technology at schools where injured student athletes can be quickly assessed. Microsoft's Airband Grant Fund is helping us make that happen."

Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century. It is a necessity to start and grow a small business and take advantage of advances in agriculture, telemedicine and education. In the United States, more than 24 million Americans lack broadband access, including 19.4 million people living in rural areas.

Below is a list of this year's Microsoft Airband Grant Fund recipients. More about the Microsoft Airband Grant Fund can be found here.

CvWireless (New York, United States)
Skylark Wireless (West Virginia, United States)
Tribal Digital Village (California, United States)
Numbers4Health (California, Maine and Texas, United States)
Mesh Power (Rwanda)
Cold Hubs (Nigeria)
Agsol (Kenya)
ME Solshare (Bangladesh)

About Tribal Digital Village

Tribal Digital Village, a tribal-owned ISP based in Valley Center, California, has developed hybrid wireless networks to solve last mile connectivity challenges and enable tribal members to deliver community-based networks.

About Numbers4Health

Numbers4Health is a Colorado-based startup that provides a collection of tools to encourage increased use of telehealth solutions to drive positive change and better healthcare outcomes. The system operates across Windows, Android, and iOS environments.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.