In its Sustainability Report for 2014, Ericsson has stated that over 500,000 people in 12 sub Saharan countries are now connected through the company's Millennium Villages Project (MVP), an initiative that addresses extreme poverty through innovation.

According to the company, the connectivity has made it possible to introduce other programs such as Connect to Learn, an initiative that aims to provide ICT equipment in schools. The program has launched in 21 countries including 9 in Africa, reaching over 50,000 secondary education students globally.

Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson, said, "In the Networked Society, everyone and everything will be connected in real time. As a leading ICT company, our role is to drive this transformation, opening up new ways to innovate, to collaborate and to empower people, business and society. We want to ensure that connectivity paves the way for environmentally sustainable and equitable social and economic development."

In its report, the company said that in 2014, it worked closely with International Rescue Committee and provided support for health crises, natural disasters, and conflict-driven humanitarian crises including the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

E-waste which is a problem in many developing countries was also on the scope for the company during last year.

"In sub-Saharan Africa earlier this year, Ericsson partnered with a customer to raise awareness around this initiative and take back telecom e-waste as well as mobile phones, personal computers, and other household e-waste from end-users," the company said.

Ericsson prides itself as one of the few companies that releases its sustainability and corporate social responsibility report as per the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights Reporting Framework established this year.