Connect Africa has secured the cooperation of three key technology providers (MTN, Vanu & AEDC) to implement a deep rural GSM signal test in Central Zambia.  The project will be carried out at Chunga Camp, a community of 325 people, deep within the Kafue National Park, Zambia.

This project is being carried out with the cooperation of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).

Chunga camp’s remote location, its lack of service provision and the presence of a boarding school, health clinic, ranger training facility and ZAWA offices make it an ideal location to test the sustainability, efficacy and value of cell phone coverage in deep rural Africa.

AEDC will supply fuel cells with the following benefits :

• The boarding school will enable us to test the benefits of eLearning technology connected to the Web.

• The clinic will enable us to test the value of connectivity for a deep rural health facility in Africa.

• The presence of ZAWA authorities in the camp will enable us to test the value of communication to a government authority and its work in conservation.

• The introduction of an alternative energy source will enable us to test the value of power and light to a deep rural community.  The community will be provided with street lighting, anti-mosquito units (developed in conjunction with S.C. Johnson and made possible by the support of a Canadian sponsor)

The project is unique in several respects:

• It brings together three independent technology solutions to deliver a total rural service infrastructure to a deep rural community.

• It has secured the permission of a mobile network operator to allow the testing of a new and cutting edge GSM technology on their network for the first time.

• It has facilitated the convergence of disparate stakeholders to develop and test a sustainable rural communication infrastructure that can be rolled out across Africa and beyond.

• It introduces an alternative energy solution, using the AEDC fuel cells with  NO carbon footprint that not only powers the communication equipment but also offers the community members light, power and a business opportunity in the form of a service centre to manage and maintain the Zinc Air Fuel Cell network in the camp.

• The service centre will also offer added value services coordinated by Connect Africa as part of their service portfolio – communication, information, government access, airtime sales, banking, business, advertising and access to training resources.

• Education and health services will be facilitated by Connect Africa in partnership with world leading education and health professionals.

Contributors to this project are:

MTN (Zambia) – Mobile Phone Network capacity and services

Vanu (USA) – Localised GSM signal technology

AEDC (South Africa) – Alternative energy (Zinc Air Fuel Cells)

QuickEdge (Zambia) – VSAT backhaul

ZAWA (Zambia) – Location and mast infrastructure

Intel (USA) – eLearning solutions

JP Sa Couto (Portugal) – eLearning infrastructure

Champ (Zambia) – Health services.

Connect Africa (Zambia) – Project initiation, implementation and logistics.

Expected results will include:

• An accurate measure of the impact of mobile phone connectivity and power supply.

• A sustainable business model for deep rural communication and service provision.

• The provision of light and power to the community.

• The sustained facilitation of cutting edge education and health service provision in deep rural schools and clinics.

• The introduction and implementation of a connected deep rural community impacting positively on each member of the community’s social and economic wellbeing.

• Direct and indirect impact on small holder agricultural and other commercial activities in deep rural locations.

Project Monitoring and Exposure:

It is proposed that the project will be filmed with a view to developing a series of TV programmes highlighting the benefits of communication and power services on individuals in deep rural communities.

The project will also be recorded and published online.