About the Project

Community-managed model connecting schools and communities through the power of cooperative ownership.

Overview

Bridging the digital divide through community ownership

This project tests a community-managed internet access model in Kondoa District. The already established Kondoa Community Network Cooperative Society is at the heart of this initiative responsible for sustaining hardware, collecting revenue, and reinvesting in long-term connectivity.

The project will extend broadband internet to 5 communities and 5 schools using TV White Space (TVWS) technology bringing connectivity to areas where it is currently absent or unreliable.

Revenue generated from community hotspots will subsidize school connectivity, creating a self-sustaining loop. Each hotspot supports up to 250 simultaneous users, with community access priced competitively below existing mobile operator and internet café rates.

How It Works

The Community Cooperative Model

Unlike traditional donor-funded connectivity projects, this model is designed to outlast its funding. The cooperative society collects revenue from community hotspot users and channels it back into sustaining infrastructure and subsidising school access.

Community Hotspots

5 broadband hotspots deployed in underserved communities. Paid access at rates below existing market providers makes it competitive and financially viable.

Revenue Reinvestment

Fees collected by the cooperative are redirected to maintain hardware, pay operational costs, and subsidise free or low-cost connectivity.

Long-term Sustainability

Advocacy efforts will support the Tanzanian government in creating an enabling regulatory environment for cooperative network societies.

What We're Doing

Project Objectives

Infrastructure

Deploy robust broadband connectivity infrastructure in underserved communities and schools using TV White Space (TVWS) technology, ensuring reliable internet access reaches hard-to-reach rural areas across Kondoa District.

Digital Literacy

Build the capacity of teachers and community members to effectively use digital tools and manage IT infrastructure, empowering educators with the skills to integrate technology into teaching and learning.

Innovation and Access to Devices

Provide schools and communities with access to digital devices and foster innovation by creating opportunities for students to explore, experiment, and develop solutions using technology for local challenges.

Have questions about our projects?

Our team is happy to collaborate and work together to connect more villages to the internet.