1. Sustainability?
Alfredo Terzoli
Rhodes and Fort Hare Universities
Sangonet ICT4RD
1-3 Nov 2011
Wanderers Club, Sandton
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2. The puzzle
How to make possible
real & empowering ICT deployment
in marginalized / disadvantaged
areas
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3. Why is it not working?
• the cost of ICT infrastructure is too high to be
supported only by the resources in
marginalized areas.
• the applications that are relevant in this
context are just a handful and rarely move
beyond the proof of concept
• the expertise of standard ICT solution
providers is at best inadequate
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4. 2009
Siyakhula Living Lab
Management Unit
Telkom CoEs
2005
1997 RU Siyakhula
Living Lab
1997 UFH
2010
Reed House Systems
(software house)
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5. What is needed?
• something that reverses the classic telco
equation: the resources to support the local
infrastructure have to come from the outside,
rather then from the inside
• a way to maximize the utilization of any ICT
infrastructure
• real, well organized software production
centres, with good current software engineering
practices, as well as specialized ICT solutions
providers
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6. 6

7. Connectivity blueprint
• A broadband island that connects as many Points
of Presence as possible (Digital Access Nodes,
DANs)
• DANs located in schools but open to the
community and running non proprietary, open
source software
• Low cost, thin-client infrastructure (as server a
cluster of ‘refurbished’ computers)
• Broadband island connected to the Internet by
whatever means possible
• And the cellphones? Great but...
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8. • Applications?
• Software production Centre?
• ICT solution provider?
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9. 9

10. • Moves software production in ICT4D to an
industrial standard, in terms of architecture
and quality
• Builds a reference implementation for
practitioners in ICT4D, through which is
possible to reverse the ‘telco equation’
• Creates an entrepreneurial space within ICT4D
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11. Putting it together
• How can this work and solve the puzzle? (The
business model, in other terms)
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12. The business model
1. An entity (possibly a consortium) sets up a
broadband island, complete with TeleWeaver.
2. The entity activates pre-set contracts with other
public and private entities for them to access the
users of the broadband island. Also, the entity
collects revenues from users, if smaller.
3. Over time, and with the increase of these
contracts and the associated applications, as
well as the increase of money available locally,
the installation transforms from a cost to a
revenue centre.
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13. Sustainability?
Alfredo Terzoli
Rhodes and Fort Hare Universities
Sangonet ICT4RD Conference
1-3 Nov 2011
Wanderers Club, Sandton
13

14. 14

15. e-commerce to support art and craft
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16. a point of presence is used for
training
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