Making Information Technologies Work at the End of the Road

Remote and rural areas face many challenges, including the provision of telecommunications services. Regardless of universal service policies or other political promises, rural communities can be deemed unprofitable by service providers while government assistance is managed by faraway regulators who lack understanding of the affected communities and citizens. The authors […]

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Community memory and ICT in a developing economy

Abstract The implementation of ICT in Africa pales in comparison with developed economies. Data of the use of landline phones, cellular phones and internet connectivity indicates that the most equipped African countries, of which there are only a handful, are worse off than the poorly connected countries in developed regions […]

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Rhizomatica

Rhizomatica promotes “Mobile Communications for All” by aiming to provide cellular service to underserved and overlooked communities. It helped launch the first autonomous cellphone network in a small, Zapoteca community in Oaxaca, Mexico. According the the Rhizomatica “About Page,” According to the ITU, 2-3 billion people around the world lack […]

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Mexican village launches autonomous cellular network

A small indigenous village in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico launched what could be a new paradigm in local telecommunications services: a community-run carrier-grade autonomous cellular network. With the support of US-based international non-profit Rhizomatica, the Zapoteco village Villa Talea de Castro now offers cell phone service for its residents […]

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TowerDB: Network Management Software

Setting up a network generally means configuring a router, a UPS, maybe a NAS appliance and a few access points… Just a few pieces of equipment to serve hundreds of users’ devices. And for the most part network administrators can keep track of inventory and IP addresses with simple spreadsheets. […]

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Towards a Policy for Remote Indigenous Media and Communications

Daniel Featherstone, General Manager of Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA) of Australia, presents “Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Towards a Policy for Remote Indigenous Media and Communications.” The presentation describes the issues of top-down policy and one-size-fits-all programs that often do not have the desired outcomes for remote communities. […]

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