The computing for development community knows that technology interventions involve consideration of social, technical and environmental factors. Research into WiFi solutions has fallen off as ubiquitous mobile solutions penetrate even the deepest rural communities worldwide. This paper argues that the latest wave of WiFi mesh networks offers benefits that traditional top-down WiFi and mobile networks do not. In addition, we propose ethnographic and participatory methods to aid the effective rollout of mesh inverse infrastructure with and for a given community. This paper describes and then analyzes a mesh for voice rollout within a situated context. We explain how to conduct informed community co-design and how to factor in local socio-political concerns that can impact on the design, rollout and subsequent maintenance of community-based wireless mesh networks. While we have not yet analyzed baseline and initial usage data, we do have new lessons to offer.
Rey-Moreno, C., et al. (2013). Community-based solar power revenue alternative to improve sustainability of a rural wireless mesh network.
AbstractGiven needs for a clean and easy way to maintain and secure powering rural wireless networks and to generate revenue to guarantee the sustainability of its intended goals, an approach to leverage solar power to address both needs simultaneously is presented herein. Results comprise empowered locals trained to ensure local maintenance and appropriation; local usage and maintenance data; and a costing of the solution and its maintenance after a year of operation. It is shown that the solution presented can be locally maintained and provide additional revenue for a rural wireless network to continue providing intended communication goals.
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