The best accelerant for economic growth for the village – aside from paved roads throughout the village and out to larger towns – is a reliable and affordable communications network. The reason why telecom networks have not been extended from the cities and towns out to the rural village is because the technology and infrastructure that is successful in high population density markets is too expensive to build, operate, and maintain in sparse population village markets that are far away from larger towns that can support cellular technology. We have designed a local village area network from existing technologies that is lower cost and easier to operate and maintain than the predominant cellular technology of Africa’s cities and towns. Our network is composed of outdoor WiFi access points that are interconnected by a two-pair fiberoptic cable that is buried by hand 1 meter deep underground. Any member of the population can use the network with a smartphone that is equipped with WiFi, employing a web application that can be acquired inexpensively online.
Whether the communication is voice or data or messaging, several different web applications are available either for free or for $1 or $2 on line. This “WiFi to the Internet” communications network will enable intra-village calls that will comprise 80% of the communications requirements of villagers for the foreseeable future. In addition, this village communications network will enable callers from outside the village to make contact with local villagers through a VSAT transmission terminal. Indeed, we project that far more incoming traffic will monetize the village network, than outgoing traffic for the initial years of the network’s operations. The economics of this communications network must provide adequate support for its operations from the realistic low-traffic profiles of the villagers that will use it.
Startup costs for the network will be $273,500. We expect that 75% of these funds will be financed through the Universal Access Service Fund the Host Country has expressed structured and funded for this purpose. The operating costs of the network will by about $35,000 per year. Airtime Distributor revenue (villagers) will reach $29,090 in year two and $136,841 in year five. Network carrier revenues will reach $125,069 in year two and $533,241 in year five.
The MPP Co. and the Village Network Carrier will experience increased usage of electricity and communications directly in proportion to the success of all other village enterprises.
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