Tanzanian telecenters share costs of wireless 'Net

28.11.2008
Telecenters in rural Tanzania have gone wireless to share Internet connections with community members and to offset costs, in the process establishing a model for the sustainable operation of local technology centers.

Telecenters in rural Tanzania have challenged the idea that the ICT needs of rural communities are being met by mobile phone operators, according to a recent report by the Association for Progressive Communication (APC), a network of nonprofit ICT development organizations.

Mobile phone operators have been slow to provide data services, which might lessen demand for voice calls and cut down profit margins. Over time mobile phones and mobile operators will have a great impact on rural communications. For now, however, there is still a need for grassroots ICT development to fill the void that large mobile companies are leaving in rural areas, the APC report finds.

The problem is that local telecenters are having difficulty making enough money to stay in operation, even though they offer a variety of services. Telecenter services include Internet and phone services as well as training and miscellaneous business services such as photocopying, binding, lamination and faxing.

The establishment of the Sengerama Telecentre, in the town of the same name, was overseen by the local Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), a government agency that which has coordinated and managed the grants and other sources of financial assistance that the telecenter has needed to survive. Estimates show that the center needs an average of US$1,100 per month to subsidize its operations.

By using wireless technology to allow community members to share Internet connections, however, the Sengerama telecenter is generating revenue while helping clients offset costs. The telecenter has installed a Motorola Canopy Wireless System, which allows it to offer a shared connection to several geographically dispersed clients.