Microsoft opens wallet to extend Internet in remote areas

"Local entrepreneurs stand a better chance of understanding local needs, and have the expertise to create new technologies and business models to meet those needs, taking into account local market conditions," said Paul Garnett, director of Microsoft's Affordable Access Initiative, in a blog post Tuesday.

Other recipients distribute solar kiosks for charging mobile phones in Rwanda, provide Internet software for rural schools in India and operate Wi-Fi hotspots in the Philippines.