Overcoming the rural connectivity divide in SA
Africa requires economic growth, social development and an overall improvement in quality of life.
Rural connectivity is key, as it enables access to essential services, opportunities and resources that are often otherwise unavailable in remote areas. It is the connectivity that provides the foundation of better access to information, allowing communities to transform and evolve. This, in turn, boosts education and reduces poverty by enabling the youth to upskill themselves, increasing their employability and improving their lives.
According to Sthembiso Dlamini, Chief Solutions Architect at Quadrupleplay, rural connectivity refers to the challenge of extending telecommunications infrastructure, especially broadband internet, to sparsely populated areas.
According to ITWeb, speaking at the recent Southern African Telecommunications Association (SATA) Conference, sponsored by OpenServe and held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Dlamini noted that the ‘last mile’ represents the final segment of the network.
“Quadrupleplay is an organisation skilled at deploying a range of last mile technologies, allowing us to be a major driver of rural economic inclusion. We build community-owned networks usually consisting of tailored 4G/5G WiFi or fibre networks in conjunction with local service providers,” he explains.
“What we do is to identify those communities that are suitable and then work closely with local government to determine the best service provider to align with. We then offer them our expertise to help build the network and implement the infrastructure required to connect to the world wide web. Naturally, we also provide backup to the local provider in cases where a problem arises, to ensure a rapid resolution thereof", added Dlamini.
“The true nature of any technology lies in how it responds to the end users’ attempts to connect to the internet – how your device connects and interacts is the true measure of how well connected you are. For us, it is about working closely with OpenServe in SA, as with their experience, they do most of the heavy lifting, ultimately making connectivity like magic for the end-users.
“The work we do with OpenServe and the local service providers is critical, as we are driven by the knowledge that rural connectivity is not merely a technical challenge it is also a social and economic imperative. In the end, our aim is not to simply connect, but rather to play a vital role in transforming the nation,” stated Dlamini.