GTC has joined forces with Nairobi-based organisation Kicoshep to develop a framework to build and support community-run broadband schemes for the slums of Africa as a means of improving communications and life-long learning whilst capturing the full economic benefit.

One of the key reasons the slums develop is because the rate of urbanisation far exceeds the ability of city authorities to build basic infrastructures; they then become entrenched as the local economy increasingly falls behind that of the neighbouring city. While the lack of reliable telecommunications might not be as life threatening as the absence of sanitation, nonetheless it hampers efforts to improve the lives and health of people living there. Community-based broadband can help to deliver affordable infrastructure quickly, and with all the economic benefit remaining where its needed.

For this reason, the work of GTC and Kicoshep will focus equally on the business, community, social and technical apsects of developing infrastructure; the kind of balance required to enable the changes needed to overcome the issues raised so forcefully in UN Habitat's "State of the World’s Cities 2006/7"

A key part of the project is to build a pilot network in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, to support the pioneering work of the local schools and NGO's. This pilot kicks off at the end of August

GTC has recently completed the first phase of developing new websites for two projects we have been involved with over recent months:

Kicoshep is fantastic project in the heart of the Kibera community in Nairobi, helping local people to improve their life chances.

Chisomo is club for street children in Malawi, re-uniting families and helping them to support their children in one of the world's  poorest countries.

Bayerebon Number 3 is a rural cocoa producing village in Ghana. Over the last year Karen Bridges, an indomitable teacher from the UK, has stayed with the community, helping the school. This website was developed to support her fantastic efforts. 

Make a visit to the websites and see what they do in their own words.

Adrian Wooster's "Musings on Broadband", available from online publishers Lulu, is a collection of thoughts on how broadband is developing and what the next generation will look like. The book explores the direction the Internet and broadband is heading, and how it can be developed with a greater focus on community and customers, and with an eye on the future.

Highlighting how technology and commercial choices can have a significant impact on our ability to use the Internet as we might want, the book explores the state of competition and the health of the broadband market with an eye of how open community networks can play a critical part in shaping the next generation.

Click the icon to reserve your copy!