Wireless Africa: Difference between revisions

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=='''Vision'''==
=='''Vision'''==


A Wireless Africa built on sustainable Community Owned Information Networks for Rural Development
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'''''A Wireless Africa built on sustainable Community Owned Information Networks for Rural Development'''''
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=='''Background'''==
=='''Background'''==

Revision as of 14:55, 2 June 2008

Wireless Africa: Towards Sustainability Models for Community Owned Wireless and VoIP Networks

Forthcoming Events
Wireless Africa Workshop
  • 25 - 27 June 2008, Pretoria, South Africa


Vision

A Wireless Africa built on sustainable Community Owned Information Networks for Rural Development

Background

The objectives of this project are to:

  1. Build Wireless Africa capacity and network between organisations in different countries researching and building Community Owned Networks;
  2. To understand community environments, information and user needs of the poor; and in particular the cultural, gender and social values and priorities of these communities;
  3. To research business models for Community Owned Networks, and approaches for replication and scalability;
  4. To embrace and enhance the business models through development and implementation of open source, open hardware technologies and open access infrastructure;
  5. To identify barriers (political, economic, social, technological and environmental) to a “Wireless Africa”, and propose strategies to overcome these barriers and influence institutional frameworks, regulatory considerations, national policies and telecommunication costs.

This project will achieve these objectives through a well-managed organisation of a number of sub-projects with the various project collaborators in different African countries. Outcome Mapping will be used as a planning and monitoring tool.

Network of Researchers

COLLABORATORS: Partners
IDRC
Meraka Institute Co-ordination
LINK Centre Wits University - policy
Kwantu Demand-side studies, business models
IT+46 VoIP, VoIP-in-a-box
wire.less.dk WISP-in-a-box

Events

Wireless Africa Project "kick off" Workshop

Date: 12 - 15 May 2008

Venue: Cairo, Egypt


Wireless Africa Workshop

Date: 25 - 27 June 2008

Venue: CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa


IDRC CSIR Meraka Institute wire.less.dk IT+46 KwantuMedia


This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre(IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.