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