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Community-Owned Networks

Edith Ofwona Adera Senior Program Specialist, IDRC. Community-Owned Networks. ICT4Dev Southern Sudan 2010. What we wanted to know. Financial Viability? Technical Feasibility? Management? Content ? Ownership? How do development outcomes change?.

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Community-Owned Networks

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  1. Edith Ofwona Adera Senior Program Specialist, IDRC Community-Owned Networks ICT4Dev Southern Sudan 2010

  2. What we wanted to know • Financial Viability? • Technical Feasibility? • Management? • Content ? • Ownership? • How do development outcomes change?

  3. Building Community-Owned Networks Bottom-Up!The Case of Rural Nigeria (ZittNet) Similar implementations in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe

  4. Background • Kafanchan - rural railway junction town 200 km northeast of Abuja. • No Fixed Lines, GSM in 2005 – expensive connectivity in the area. • Unreliable national power grid. • High rates of unemployment and HIV/AIDS among youths.

  5. Background Contd. • Fantsuam Foundation (FF) – rural Nigerian NGO - fights poverty and builds capacity of communities for self-reliance. • Access to ICT infrastructure for sustainable livelihoods program. Only Internet Connection in Kafanchan area via Satellite • However, the cost was very high at US$ 1800 per month (128/64 kbps)!

  6. Purpose • Use local skills to build and maintain the wireless network. • Share bandwidth cost-effectively and run network using a back-up solar power system. • Develop a sustainable social and cost-effective business model. • Undertake socio-economic impact assessment of the wireless network, document and share the lessons & experiences.

  7. The Process and Achievements

  8. Building Local Capacity - Training Extensive training on how to deploy, run and maintain a Wireless Community Network - Theory, Practice & Site Surveys Gender Balanced Team!

  9. Wireless Network Design – Star Network(network topology & estimation of equipment)

  10. Procurement of Equipment • Local procurement of bulky and heavy items • Import radio equipment • Radio equipment with built-in antenna, Ethernet cable

  11. Implementation by Local Team PAYG Satellite Link Old Network Operating Centre PoE Cable connected to tower

  12. Implementation by Local Team 150 foot tower installed Installation of radio Testing connectivity equipment (award winner) for client – 20 clients Client Equipment: radio equipment with built-in antenna, cable, UPS/ surge protection, web-enabled computer.

  13. Construction of new Network Operations Centre • Based on local materials and training local skills • Built with compressed earth bricks; manufactured locally by groups of out-of-school youths with income generation opportunities created.

  14. Solar Power Back-Up System! • Powers: core network; Equipments and LightingServices:VOIP, web & mail services; and CMS

  15. Application of the Wireless Network in Health! Fantsuam Clinic - connected to - Kafanchan General Hospital

  16. Business Development! • IsaiahCyber Café connected! • Microfinance • 10 youth • 15,000 beneficiaries

  17. Business Development! • ZenithBank Connected! • Zenith Bank Connected! • OTHERS:- • Hotelwith a hot spot • Individual homes

  18. Other Outcomes Achieved! • Nigeria's first rural community wireless networkoffering innovative low-cost services (1/3 internet costs):-VOIP calls; interactive radio with return voice channel via radio hooked to the network; Intranet with free messaging services. • A reliable solar back-up systemfor the network. • A fully-fledged Rural ISP status(with tested social enterprise model supported by microfinance) – recognized by Nigerian regulator and a new class license established as a result of the project (to be connected IXP). • Technically competent ZittNet wireless team - scaling up in Kaduna State and other states within Nigeria.

  19. Centre of Excellence – Makerere UniversityCommunity Wireless Resource Centre

  20. Challenges • Technical damage to some equipments due to high incidences of thunder and lightening in Nigeria! • Retention of trained IT experts – within rural Nigeria (local CISCO academy producing critical mass of expertise) • Affordable and reliable Internet connectivity (migrated to pay-as-you-go Internet access to reduce costs)

  21. Conclusion – “Africa Can” • Communities can build their own networks with low-cost wireless solutions using local skills; • Africans need to develop local applications & services (Intranets) that meet their development needs; • Community-owned networks – with “VOIP-Wireless Internet-Solar driven--Bandwidth Management-Business” model is the next innovation for Africa; • Open Fibre Model is the ultimate solution (Tanzania)

  22. Resources – Open Access Project Websites • Fantsuam Foundation - www.fantsuam.org • Community Wireless Resource Center - www.tech.mak.ac.ug/cwrc Documentation of the Work • Fantsuam Foundation - www.fantsuam.it46.se • Community Wireless Resource Center - www.cwrc.it46.se

  23. Thank You! Edith Adera eadera@idrc.or.ke

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