How do we make community owned information networks work for the poor?

Abstract

ICTs have been identified as the catalyst to assist developing countries bridge the development chasm thus alleviating the effects of poverty. However, Africa is littered with ICT projects that have failed or struggle to survive. The key question asked in this paper is how do we make community owned information networks work for the poor? A case study from Angola shares key lessons learnt in developing shared cost models in telecentres in the face of exorbitantly high connectivity costs. The real challenge faced by such projects is to build enough demand to make such a network financially sustainable. New work shows that a new business model is emerging that can harness the expanding power of wireless networks combined with VoIP and WISP technology and entrepreneurship to create community-owned communication networks and to provide over these networks a range of pro-poor products and services.