![\"Connect](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/WP1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/van-150x150.jpg\" "\\"Connecting")
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Connect Africa is a non-profit social enterprise that leverages innovative technologies for socioeconomic development. We promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)\u00a0among our network of entrepreneurial local operators to facilitate the delivery of\u00a0 communication, business and public services to their rural communities.<\/p>\n
Our business model varies from country to country and even village to village, but is always based on\u00a0the sustainability of a complete infrastructure and logistics network. Our networks of locally owned rural service centres are supported by district supervisors and are routinely visited by a\u00a0fleet of service and maintenance vehicles.<\/p>\n
After 2 years of research and field trials, funded internally and\u00a0by the\u00a0Southern Africa Trust, Connect Africa successfully completed a 6-month pilot project in South Africa\u2019s Limpopo Province in 2007. This pilot was carried out in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), with the support of key sponsors that included Vodacom, HP, Iveco, Microsoft, VW, Iridium, Graffiti, 4\u00d74 Megaworld and Galaxy Media. Work continues with provincial and local government to roll out a rural service network across the Limpopo Province.<\/p>\n
In April 2008 Connect Africa began conducting a trial of satellite connected public pay-phones, supported by the Iridium Satellite Network and the Southern Africa Trust, in deep rural Zambia \u2013 in and around the Zambian Wildlife Authority\u2019s (ZAWA) Kafue National Park Game Management Areas.<\/p>\n
The success of these trials resulted in the deployment of an extended pilot project in early 2009. Funded by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation ACP-EU and with the support and approval of the Zambian Communications Authority (now the Zambian Information and Communication Technology Authority), Connect Africa deployed six public pay-phones in and around ZAWA\u2019s Kafue Game Management Area in March 2009. This trial incorporated an additional satellite network supported by Thuraya\u2019s regional distributor Fort Info Technology.<\/p>\n
All activity across the trial network was monitored and analysed for three months and a project report with recommendations for a national network of rural pay-phones was submitted to the Zambian Communications Authority for review. The rural pay-phone network\u00a0is the\u00a0foundation for\u00a0a multi-purpose service delivery network to deliver routine government, agriculture, health, education, and business services to deep rural communities.<\/p>\n
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation ACP-EU has since extended their support to include a series of stakeholder workshops to identify areas where the public, private and NGO sectors can engage with Connect Africa.<\/p>\n
It is proposed that the Zambian service network will serve as a model for an African rural service network covering 10 countries by 2015.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Connect Africa is a non-profit social enterprise that leverages innovative technologies for socioeconomic development. We promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)\u00a0among our network of entrepreneurial local operators to facilitate the delivery of\u00a0 communication, business and public services … Continue reading