Economic Sustainability:Create a Mission Statement, Evaluate the Demand for Potential Offerings

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Economic Sustainability

Achieving long-term sustainability is perhaps the most difficult goal when de-

signing and operating wireless networks and telecenters in developing coun-

tries. The prohibitive cost of Internet connectivity in many developing coun-

tries imposes a substantial operating expense that makes these models sen-

sitive to economic fluctuations and necessitates innovation to attain viability.

Substantial progress in the use of wireless networks for rural communica-

tions has been accomplished over the past few years, due in large part to

technological breakthroughs. Long-distance links have been constructed,

high bandwidth designs are possible and secure means to access networks

are available. In contrast, there have been fewer successes with the devel-

opment of sustainable business models for wireless networks and telecen-

ters, particularly for remote areas. Based on the authors experiences and

observations of existing networks, as well as knowledge from entrepreneurial

development best practices, this chapter will focus on documenting methods

for building sustainable wireless networks and telecenters.

In the past decade, there has been tremendous growth in Internet access

across the developing world. Most developing world cities now have wireless

or ADSL networks and fiber optic connections to the Internet, which is a sub-

stantial improvement. Nevertheless, outside urban areas, Internet access is

still a formidable challenge. There is little wired infrastructure beyond the

principal cities. Therefore, wireless remains one of the few choices for provid-

ing affordable Internet access. There are now proven models for rural access

using wireless. In Macedonia, the Macedonia Connects project has now con-

nected a majority of the country's schools to the Internet. This book was writ-

ten for those wishing to connect their communities. The models described

here are smaller in scale and use affordable designs. Our aim is to provide

examples of how wireless networks can be designed to expand sustainable

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access where large telecommunications operators have not yet installed their

networks into areas that would otherwise not be economically feasible by

traditional models.

Two common misconceptions must be dispelled. First, many people assume

that there is one preferred business model that will work in every community

of the developing world, and the key to success is to find that one "eureka"

solution. In practice, this is not the case. Each community, town or village is

different. There is no prescribed model that meets the needs of all areas in

the developing world. Despite the fact that some places may be similar in

economic terms, the characteristics of a sustainable business model vary

from community to community. Although one model may work in one village,

another village nearby may not possess the same necessary qualities for this

model to be sustainable. In this circumstance, other innovative models must

be customized to fit the context of this particular community.

Another misconception is that sustainability has the same definition for all peo-

ple. Although this term generally means that a system is built to persist indefi-

nitely, this chapter focuses more on the discussion of the economic conditions

(financial and managerial) than other aspects of sustainability. Also, instead of

the horizon being indeterminate, it centers on a time period of five years the

period in which these ICT infrastructure and wireless technologies are ex-

pected to be useful. Thus, the term sustainability will be used to encapsulate a

system designed to persist for approximately five or more years.

When determining and implementing the best model for a wireless network

or telecenter, several key factors help to ensure its success. This chapter is

not meant to be a guide for managing sustainable wireless networks. Rather,

this "how-to" guide seeks to present an approach that will enable you to find

the model that best fits your situation. The tools and information contained

within this chapter will help people starting wireless networks in the develop-

ing world to ask the right questions and gather the necessary data to define

the most appropriate components of their model. Keep in mind that determin-

ing the best model is not a sequential process where each step is followed

until completion. In fact, the process is ongoing and iterative. All of the steps

are integrally connected to each other, and often you will revisit steps several

times as you progress.

Create a Mission Statement

What do you want to accomplish by setting up your network? It seems like a

simple question. However, many wireless networks are installed without a clear

vision of what they are doing and what they hope to accomplish in the future.

The first step involves documenting this vision with the input of your entire

team or staff. What is the purpose of the wireless network? Who does the net-

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work seek to serve? What does the network do to address the community s

needs and to create value? What are the principles that guide the network? A

good mission statement expresses the purpose of your network in a concise,

meaningful way while articulating your values and services. Above all, your

mission provides a vision of the aspirations for your wireless network.

It is important that every team member working to build the wireless network is

included in the process of developing your mission, which helps create further

buy-in. It will garner support and commitment not only from your staff, but also

from customers, partners and donors, which will further your overall objectives.

In the dynamic world of technology, the needs of customers and the best way

to satisfy those needs change rapidly; therefore, the development of your mis-

sion is an ongoing process. After defining the initial mission with your team,

you must conduct research to determine whether this first conception is

aligned with the realities of your environment. Based on an analysis of the ex-

ternal environment and your internal competencies, you must constantly mod-

ify the mission throughout the life-cycle of the wireless network.

Evaluate the Demand for Potential Offerings

The next step in deriving your business model involves assessing the com-

munity s demand for the network s products and services. First, identify the

individuals, groups and organizations in the community that have a need for

information and would benefit from the wireless network s offerings. Potential

users could consist of a wide variety of individuals and organizations that

include, but are not limited to:

· Farmers associations and cooperatives

· Women s groups

· Schools and universities

· Businesses and local entrepreneurs

· Health clinics and hospitals

· Religious groups

· International and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

· Local and national government agencies

· Radio stations

· Organizations in the tourist industry

Once you establish a list of all the potential user groups of the network, you

must determine their needs for access to information and communication.

Often, people confuse services with needs. A farmer may need to gather in-

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formation on market prices and climatic conditions to improve his crop yield

and sales. Perhaps the way in which he gets this information is through the

Internet; however, the farmer could also receive this information through

SMS over a mobile phone or through Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP).

It is important to differentiate between needs and services because there

may be various ways to satisfy the farmer s needs. Your wireless network

should look for the best way to fulfill the farmer s needs, thereby creating

value at the lowest cost for the user.

When assessing the needs of the community, it is important to figure out

where the network can bring the most value to its users. For instance, in the

small town of Douentza, Mali, a telecenter manager evaluated the potential

benefits of establishing a wireless network through discussions with several

local organizations. He interviewed one local NGO that discussed its need to

send monthly reports to its headquarters office in Bamako. At that time, there

was no Internet access in Douentza. In order to email a copy of the report,

the NGO sent one of its employees to Mopti once a month, resulting in trans-

portation and lodging costs, as well as the opportunity cost of having the em-

ployee out of the office for several days each month. When the telecenter

manager calculated the total monthly costs incurred by the NGO, he was

able to demonstrate the value of an Internet connection through cost savings

to the organization.

Assistance from key partners may also be necessary to secure sustainability

for your wireless network. During this phase, you should connect with poten-

tial partners and explore mutually beneficial collaborations.

You can evaluate the demand in your community by contacting your potential

customers and asking questions directly through surveys, focus groups, in-

terviews or town hall meetings. Conducting research through a review of sta-

tistical documentation, industry reports, censuses, magazines, newspapers

and other secondary data sources will also help to give you a better picture

of your local environment. The goal of this data collection is to obtain a thor-

ough understanding of the demand for information and communication in

your community so that the network being created responds to those needs.

Often, wireless networks that do not succeed in the developing world forget

this key step. Your entire network should be based on the demand in the

community. If you set up a wireless network in which the community does not

find value or cannot afford its services, it will ultimately fail.

Establish Appropriate Incentives

Often, there is little economic incentive for such subsistence-based economic

participants to access the Internet. In addition, the cost of acquiring a com-

puter, learning to use it, and getting an Internet connection far outweighs the

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economic returns that it can provide. There has recently been some devel-

opment of applications that address this lack of incentive, such as market

information systems, quality standards imposed by importing countries, and

commodities exchanges. Internet access becomes an obvious advantage in

situations where knowing the day-to-day prices of products can make a sig-

nificant difference in income.

Establishing appropriate economic incentives is paramount to the success of

the network. The network must provide economic value to its users in a way

that outweighs its costs, or it must be cheap enough that its costs are mar-

ginal and affordable to its users. It is crucial to design a network with viable

economic uses and with costs that are less than the economic value pro-

vided by it. Additionally, to create a proper incentive structure, you must in-

volve the community in the creation of the network from the beginning of the

project, making sure that this initiative is organic and not imposed from the

outside. To begin, you should try to answer the following questions:

1. What economic value can this network generate for the local economy

and for whom?

2. How much perceivable economic value can be generated?

3. Can present impediments be overcome to allow the achievement of

these economic returns?

By answering these questions, the network will be able to clearly articulate its

value proposition for its users. For example, "By using this network you can

improve your margins on commodity sales by 2%," or "Internet will allow you

to save $X in phone charges and transportation costs per month." You must

figure out how your network can improve efficiencies, reduce costs, or in-

crease revenues for these customers.

For example, if providing market information for the local maize industry, the

network should be located near to where farmers bring their crop for sale to

merchants. Your network would then likely need to tie-into market information

systems, providing daily price sheets ($1 each), or terminals to sellers and

merchants ($2/hr). Your network might also provide the means for farmers to

read about new techniques and to buy new products. You might also provide

wireless connections to merchants and rent them thin-client terminals for

Internet access. If the market was small, you might be able to reduce costs

by limiting access to images and other bandwidth intensive services. Again,

knowing how much value your network will create for these merchants will

allow you to gauge how much they will be able to afford for your services.

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Research the Regulator y Environment

for Wireless

The regulatory environment for wireless networks also affects the type of busi-

ness model that can be implemented. First, research whether any organization

has the right to use 2.4 GHz frequencies without a license. In most situations,

2.4 GHz is free to use worldwide; however, some countries restrict who can

operate a network or require expensive licenses to do so. Although wireless

networks are legal in the Ukraine, the government requires an expensive li-

cense to use 2.4 GHz frequencies, which renders this shared usage prohibi-

tive. Typically only well established Internet Service Providers in this country

have sufficient cash flow to pay the license fees. This restriction makes it diffi-

cult for a small community to share a wireless network with other potentially

interested parties or organizations. Other countries, such as the Republic of

Mali, are more permissive. Because there are no such restrictions on wireless

networks, the possibility to share Internet connectivity in small communities is

a viable solution. The lesson is to do your research at the onset, ensuring your

network will comply with the laws of the country and local community. Some

project managers have been forced to shut down their wireless networks

simply because they were unknowingly breaking the law.

You should also check into the legality of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

services. Most countries in the developing world have not yet defined

whether VoIP is permitted; in such countries, nothing would prevent you from

offering the VoIP service. However, in some countries there are complicated

rules surrounding VoIP. In Syria, VoIP is prohibited for all networks, not just

wireless. In Ukraine, VoIP is legal for international calls only.

Analyze the Competition

The next phase in the evaluation of your community involves an analysis of

the wireless network s competition. Competitors include organizations that

provide similar products and services (e.g., another wireless Internet service

provider or WISP), organizations viewed as substitutes or alternatives to the

products and services your network provides (e.g., a cybercafé), and organi-

zations defined as new entrants to the wireless market. Once you have iden-

tified your competitors, you should research them thoroughly. You can obtain

information about your competitors through the Internet, telephone calls, their

advertisements and marketing materials, surveys of their customers and vis-

its to their site. Create a file for each competitor. The competitive information

you gather can include a list of services (including price and quality informa-

tion), their target clients, customer service techniques, reputation, marketing,

etc. Be sure to collect anything that will help you determine how to position

your network in the community.

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It is important to evaluate your competition for many reasons. First, it helps

you determine the level of market saturation. There have been several in-

stances where a subsidized telecenter was established by a donor organiza-

tion in a small village with limited demand, despite the fact that there was

already a locally owned cybercafé there. In one circumstance, the subsi-

dized center maintained low prices because it did not have to cover its costs.

This scenario eventually caused the locally owned center to go out of busi-

ness. After the funding stopped, the subsidized center went out of business

as well, due to low revenues and high costs. Knowing what already exists will

allow you to determine how your network can contribute value to the com-

munity. In addition, analyzing the competition can stimulate innovative ideas

for your service offerings. Is there something that you can do better than the

competitors to make your services more effectively fit the needs of the com-

munity? Finally, by analyzing your competitors from the customers point of

view and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, you can determine

your competitive advantages in the community. Competitive advantages are

those which cannot be easily replicated by the competition. For example, a

wireless network that can exclusively offer a faster Internet connection than a

competitor is a competitive advantage that facilitates client utilization.

Determine Initial and Recurring

Costs and Pricing

When you are planning to set up and operate your wireless network, you must

determine the resources needed to start your project and the recurring operat-

ing costs. Start-up costs include everything you must purchase to start your

wireless network. These expenses can range from the initial investment you

make in hardware, installations, and equipment for access points, hubs,

switches, cables, UPS, etc. to the costs to register your organization as a legal

entity. Recurring costs are what you must pay to continue to operate your wire-

less network, including the cost of Internet access, telephone, loans, electricity,

salaries, office rental fees, equipment maintenance and repairs, and regular

investments to replace malfunctioning or obsolete equipment.

Every piece of equipment will eventually break down or become outdated at

some point, and you should set aside extra money for this purpose. An ad-

visable and very common method to deal with this is to take the price of the

device and divide it by the period of time you estimate that it will last. This

process is called depreciation. Here is an example. An average computer is

supposed to last for two to five years. If the initial cost to purchase the com-

puter was $1,000 USD, and you will be able to use the computer for five

years, your annual depreciation will be $200 USD. In other words, you will

lose $16.67 USD every month so that you can eventually replace this com-

puter. To make your project sustainable, it is of fundamental importance that

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you save the money to compensate for the depreciation of equipment each

month. Keep these savings until you finally have to spend them for equip-

ment replacement. Some countries have tax laws that determine the period

of depreciation for different types of devices. In any case, you should try to

be very realistic about the life-cycle of all the implemented gear and plan for

their depreciation carefully.

Try to find out all your costs in advance and make realistic estimations on your

expenses. The following grid (continued on the next page) shows you a way to

classify and list all of your costs. It is a good tool to structure the different costs,

and it will help you to distinguish between initial costs and recurring costs.

It is important to research all your start-up costs in advance, and make realis-

tic estimations on your recurring expenses. It is always better to over-budget

for expenses than to under-budget. With every wireless project, there are

always unforeseen costs, especially during the first year of operations as you

learn how to better manage your network.

Categories of Costs

Initial / start-up costs

Recurring costs

· Handling costs / salaries

· Check ups (analyses) and

for employees or

consultancies

freelancer, including

yourself

· Development costs for

programming, testing,

· Equipment maintenance

Labor

integration etc.

and support costs for

costs

software, hardware and

· Installation costs

ancillary equipment

· Recruiting costs

· Security personnel

· Training costs (introduction)

· Training costs (refreshers)

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Initial / start-up costs

Recurring costs

· Operating costs for

hardware and operating

· Acquisition and production

systems (Internet access,

costs (for hardware like

telephone, etc.)

PCs, VSAT, radio link

equipment and software)

· Rent or leasing rates

· Ancillary equipment (e.g.,

· Depreciation of hardware

switches, cables and

and equipment

cabling, generator, UPS,

· License fees

etc.)

· Consumables and office

· Data protection and

supplies (e.g., data media,

security

paper, binds, clips)

· Start-up inventory (chairs,

Material

· Operational costs to

tables, lighting, curtains,

(non-labor)

maintain data protection

tiles and carpeting)

costs

and security

· Premises costs (new

· Insurance premiums

building, modification, air

conditioning, electrical

· Costs for energy and to

wiring and boxes, security

ensure power supply

grills)

· Loan payments, capital

· Legal costs, such as

costs for paying back your

business registration

setup costs

· Initial license costs (VSAT)

· Costs for advertising

· Initial marketing costs

· Local fees

(flyers, stickers, posters,

· Legal and accounting

opening party)

services

To improve your chances of sustainability, it is generally best to maintain the

lowest cost structure for your network. In other words, keep your expenses

as low as possible. Take time to thoroughly research all of your suppliers,

particularly the ISPs, and shop around for the best deals on quality service.

Once again, be certain that what you purchase from suppliers corresponds

with the demand in the community. Before installing an expensive VSAT, en-

sure there is a sufficient number of individuals and organizations in your

community willing and able to pay for using it. Depending upon demand for

information access and ability to pay, an alternative method of connectivity

may be more appropriate. Do not be afraid to think outside the box and be

creative when determining the best solution.

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Keeping your costs down should not be at the cost of quality. Because low-

quality equipment is more likely to malfunction, you could be spending more

on maintenance in the long run. The amount of money you will spend to

maintain your ICT infrastructure is hard to guess. The larger and more com-

plicated your infrastructure becomes, the more financial and labor resources

you must allocate for its maintenance.

Many times this relation is not linear but exponential. If you have a quality

problem with your equipment once it is rolled out, it can cost you an enor-

mous amount of money to fix it. Concurrently, your sales will decrease be-

cause the equipment is not up and running. There is an interesting example

of a major wireless internet service provider (WISP) who had more than

3,000 access points in operation for a while. However, the WISP never man-

aged to break even because it had to spend too much money to maintain all

the access points. In addition, the company underestimated the short life-

cycle of such devices. ICT hardware tends to get cheaper and better as time

goes on. As soon as the company had invested time and money to install the

version of expensive first generation 802.11b access points, the new "g"

standard was created. New competitors designed better and cheaper access

points and offered faster Internet access for less money. Finally the first

WISP was forced to close down the company, although it was initially the

market leader. Look at the following table to get a better picture on the fast

development of wireless standards and equipment:

Protocol

Release Date

Typical Data Rate

802.11

1997

< 1 Mbps

802.11b

1999

5 Mbps

802.11g

2003

20 Mbps

802.11a

1999, but rare until 2005

23 Mbps

802.11y

June 2008 (estimated)

23 Mbps

802.11n

June 2009 (estimated)

75 Mbps

Keep in mind the rapid advancement and changes in technology and think

about how and when it may be time for you to reinvest in newer and cheaper

(or better) devices to keep your infrastructure competitive and up-to-date. As

mentioned before, it is highly important that you save enough to be able to do

so, when necessary.

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Once you have identified and mapped out your costs, you should also de-

termine what and how to charge for your services. This is a complicated and

time-consuming process to do correctly. These key tips will assist when mak-

ing pricing decisions:

· Calculate the prices you charge so that you cover all costs to provide the

service, including all recurring expenses

· Examine the prices of your competitors

· Evaluate what your customers are willing and able to pay for your services,

and make sure your prices correspond with these

It is absolutely essential to make a financial plan before you start. You need

to list all of your initial and recurring costs and make some calculations to find

out if your project can be sustainable.

Secure the Financing

Once you have determined your initial and recurring costs and created your

financial plan, you know how much financing you will need to run a success-

ful wireless network. The next step is to research and secure the appropriate

amount of money to start up and run your wireless network.

The most traditional method of receiving funding for wireless networks in the

developing world is through grants given by donors. A donor is an organiza-

tion that contributes funding and other types of donations to an organization

or consortium of organizations to help them manage projects or support

causes. Because this funding is provided in the form of grants or other dona-

tions, it is not expected to be repaid by the organizations implementing the

wireless projects or by the project s beneficiaries. Such donors include large

international organizations like the United Nations (UN) and various special-

ized UN agencies like the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Government agencies that specialize in international development, such as

the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United

Kingdom s Department for International Development (DFID), and the Cana-

dian International Development Agency (CIDA), are also considered donors.

Large foundations like the Gates Foundation and the Soros Foundation Net-

work and private companies are other types of donors.

Typically, receiving funding involves a competitive or a non-competitive proc-

ess. The non-competitive process is more infrequent, so this chapter will fo-

cus on the competitive process at a very high level. Most donors have com-

plicated procedures surrounding the distribution of funding. The authors in

this book are by no means trying to oversimplify this in depth system of rules

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and regulations. The authors intend only to convey a general understanding

of this process for communities attempting to establish wireless networks in

the developing world. During the competitive bid process, the donor creates

a request for proposal (RFP) or a request for application (RFA), which

solicits various non-governmental organizations, private companies and their

partners to submit proposals outlining their plans for projects within the con-

straints of the donors objectives and guidelines. In response to this RFP or

RFA, NGOs and other organizations compete through the submittal of their

proposals, which are then evaluated by the donors based on specific estab-

lished criteria. Finally, the donor organization selects the most appropriate

and highest ranking proposal to fund the project. Sometimes donors also

supply funding to support an organization s operations, but this type of fund-

ing is more unusual than the competitive bid process.

Another way of accessing the necessary funds to start and maintain a wire-

less network is through microfinance, or the provision of loans, savings and

other basic financial services to the world s poorest people. Pioneered in the

1970 s by organizations like ACCION International and Grameen Bank, mi-

crocredit, a type of microfinance, enables poor individuals and entrepreneurs

to receive loans in small amounts of money to start up small enterprises. De-

spite the fact that these individuals lack many of the traditional qualifications

needed to obtain loans like verifiable credit, collateral or steady employment,

microcredit programs have been highly successful in many developing coun-

tries. Typically, the process involves an individual or a group completing and

submitting a loan application in the hopes of receiving a loan, and the lender,

the individual or organization that provides the loan, giving money on condi-

tion that it is returned with interest.

The use of microcredit to fund wireless networks does pose one constraint.

Usually, microcredit involves very small sums of money. Unfortunately, be-

cause a large amount of capital is needed to purchase the initial equipment

for wireless network set up, sometimes a microcredit loan is not sufficient.

However, there have been many other successful applications of microcredit

that have brought technology and its value to the developing world. An ex-

ample includes the story of village phone operators. These entrepreneurs

use their microcredit loans to purchase mobile phones and phone credits.

They then rent the use of their mobile phones to community members on a

per-call basis and earn enough money to repay their debt and make a profit

for themselves and their families.

Another mechanism for getting funding to start a wireless network is angel

funding. Angel investors are normally wealthy individuals that provide capital

for business start-up in exchange for a high rate of return on their investment.

Because the ventures in which they invest are start ups and, therefore, often

high risk, angel investors tend to expect different things in addition to their

return. Many expect a board position and maybe a role in the organization.

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Some angels want to have a stake in the company, while others prefer

shares in the company that can be easily redeemable at face value, thus

providing a clear exit for the investor. To protect their investments, angels

frequently ask the businesses not to make certain key decisions without their

approval. Because of the high risk involved in developing markets, it is often

challenging to find angel investors to help setup a wireless network, but not

impossible. The best way to find potential investors is through your social

network and through research online.

Evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses

of the Internal Situation

A network is only as good as the people who work and operate it. The team

you put in place can mean the difference between success and failure. That

is why it is important to reflect about your team s qualifications and skills, in-

cluding those of staff and volunteers, in comparison to the competencies

needed for a wireless project. First, make a list of all the competencies

needed to run a wireless project successfully. Capacity areas should include

technology, human resources, accounting, marketing, sales, negotiation, le-

gal, and operations, among others. Afterwards, identify local resources to

fulfill these skills. Map your team s skills sets to the competencies needed,

and identify key gaps.

One tool often used to assist with this self-evaluation is an analysis of

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, called SWOT. To conduct

this analysis, specify your internal strengths and weaknesses, and elaborate

upon the external opportunities and threats in your community. It is important

to be realistic and honest about what you do well and what you are lacking.

Be sure to distinguish between where your organization is at the beginning of

this endeavor from where it could be in the future. Your strengths and weak-

nesses allow you to evaluate your capacities internally and better understand

what your organization can do, as well as its limits. By understanding your

strengths and weaknesses and comparing them to those of your competitors,

you can determine your competitive advantages in the market. You can also

note the areas where you can improve. Opportunities and threats are exter-

nal, which enable you to analyze real world conditions and how these condi-

tions influence your network.

The diagram below will help you in creating your own SWOT analysis for

your organization. Be sure to respond to the questions asked and list your

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the spaces designated.

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Strengths

Weaknesses

· What do you do well?

· What could you improve?

· What unique resources can you

· Where do you have fewer re-

draw on?

sources than others?

· What do others see as your

· What are others likely to see as

strengths?

weaknesses?

Opportunities

Threats

· What trends could harm you?

· What good opportunities are

open to you?

· What is your competition doing?

· What trends could you take ad-

· What threats do your weaknesses

vantage of?

expose you to?

· How can you turn your strengths

into opportunities?

Putting it All Together

Once you have gathered all of the information, you are ready to put everything

together and decide upon the best model for the wireless network in your

community. Based on the results of your external and internal analyses, you

must refine your mission and service offerings. All of the factors that you re-

searched in the preceding steps come into play when determining your overall

strategy. It is essential to employ a model that capitalizes on opportunities and

works within the constraints of the local environment. To do this, you must of-

ten find innovative solutions to attain sustainability. By exploring several exam-

ples and discussing the components of the models implemented in those

instances, you will better understand how to arrive at an appropriate model.

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In the distant jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is a rural

hospital in a village called Vanga in the province of Bandundu. It is so remote

that patients travel for weeks to get there often through a combination of

travel by foot and by river. This village, founded by Baptist missionaries in

1904, has served as a hospital for many years. Although it is extremely re-

mote, it is renowned for being an excellent facility and has had the support of

German and American missionaries who have kept this facility in operation.

In 2004, a project sponsored by USAID established a telecenter in this village

to help improve education in this isolated community; this Internet facility was

also heavily used by the educated class in the community the hospital's

staff. The center had been a great boon to the community, offering access to

the world's knowledge and even providing consultation with distant col-

leagues in Switzerland, France and Canada. The center required near total

subsidization to operate and cover its costs, and funding was to end by 2006.

Although the center added great value to the community, it did have some

shortcomings, primarily technical, economic, and political issues that limited

its sustainability. A study was commissioned to consider options for its future.

After reviewing the center s cost structure, it was determined that it needed to

cut its costs and look for new ways to increase its revenues. The largest ex-

penses were electricity and Internet access; therefore, creative models

needed to be constructed to reduce the telecenter s costs and provide ac-

cess in a way that was sustainable.

Figure 10.1: Shared Internet over wireless

In this instance, a traditional VSAT was used for connectivity. However, this

model provided a unique way of accommodating local community groups

imited ability to pay for Internet services. Various organizations in the com-

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Chapter 10: Economic Sustainability

munity share Internet access through a wireless network; they also share the

costs associated with that connection. This model functions well due to spe-

cific conditions namely an awareness and understanding of the value of the

Internet among key community members, the necessary resources to sup-

port Internet access, and a regulatory system that permits wireless sharing.

In Vanga, several organizations, including a hospital, a pharmacy, several

missionary groups, a community resource center, and some non-profit or-

ganizations, have a need for Internet access and the means to pay for it. This

arrangement enables the network of organizations to have a higher quality

connection at a lower cost. Additionally, one organization in the village has

the capacity and willingness to manage several aspects of the network s op-

erations, including the billing and payment collection, technical maintenance

and general business operations of the entire network. Therefore, this model

works well in Vanga because it has been tailored to meet community demand

and leverage local economic resources.

Figure 10.2: DakNet's roaming access point

Another example of a model adapted to fit the local context is that of First

Mile Solutions DakNet. This model has been deployed in villages in India,

Cambodia, Rwanda, and Paraguay. By taking into account the limited buying

power of villagers, this model addresses their communication needs in an

innovative way. In the DakNet model, there is a franchise that exists in the

country, and local entrepreneurs are recruited and trained to operate kiosks

equipped with Wi-Fi antennas. Using pre-paid cards, villagers are able to

asynchronously send and receive emails, texts, and voice mails, conduct

web searches, and participate in e-commerce. Afterwards, these communica-

tions are stored in the local kiosk s server. When a bus or motorcycle with a

mobile access point drives past a kiosk, the vehicle automatically receives

Chapter 10: Economic Sustainability

297

the kiosk s stored data and delivers any incoming data. Once the vehicle

reaches a hub with Internet connectivity, it processes all requests, relaying

emails, messages, and shared files.

DakNet integrates both mobile access and franchise models to bring value to

people in remote villages. For such a model to be sustainable, several key

conditions need to be present. First, a franchise organization must exist to pro-

vide financial and institutional support, including an initial investment, working

capital for certain recurring costs, advice on start-up practices, management

training, standardized processes, reporting mechanisms, and marketing tools.

Additionally, this model requires a highly motivated and dynamic individual in

the village, with the appropriate skills to manage a business and willingness to

accept certain requirements of the franchise organization. Because these en-

trepreneurs are often asked to commit their own resources to the start-up

costs, they need to have sufficient access to financial resources. Finally, to

ensure this model will sustain itself, there should be sufficient demand for in-

formation and communication and few competitors in the community.

Conclusion

No single business model will enable wireless networks to be sustainable in

all environments of the developing world; different models must be used and

adapted as the circumstances dictate. Every community has unique charac-

teristics, and sufficient analysis must be conducted at the onset of a project

to determine the most appropriate model. This analysis should consider sev-

eral key factors in the local environment, including community demand, com-

petition, costs, economic resources, etc. Although appropriate planning and

execution will maximize the chances of making your network sustainable,

there are no guarantees of success. However, by using the methods detailed

in this chapter, you will help to ensure that your network brings value to the

community in a way that corresponds with the users needs.

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