Announcing the launch and Google funding of Inveneo’s Broadband for Good Program

Submitted by Inveneo Newsfeed on 14 December 2011 - 4:02pm.

Jim Wiggins adjusting a WiFi antenna in Saint Marc, Haiti

Inveneo is pleased to announce the launch of our newest program, Broadband for Good™, as well as a $2 Million Google grant in support of this three-year initiative. The goal of Broadband for Good (BB4G) is to catalyze and accelerate availability of high-quality broadband Internet connectivity in rural and under-served regions across the developing world, where it can transform lives through improved education, healthcare and economic opportunity.

Inveneo developed the concept for the Broadband for Good initiative through our experience in deploying broadband and ICT projects in Haiti, Palestine and East Africa and with seed funding from Cisco in 2011-12. These projects have highlighted not just the urgent need for broadband access in marginalized areas, but also the real opportunity to accelerate and expand access through a replicable framework that addresses the main challenges to sustainable broadband in low resource settings. Inveneo is uniquely positioned to spearhead this effort.

Key elements of the Broadband for Good framework include:

Low-cost Technology – We leverage new, low-cost networking technology options to minimize capital requirement.

Demand Mobilization – We identify and qualify prospective anchor tenants to assess real demand and ensure maximum utilization.

Local Carriers as Partners – We partner with in-country service providers to extend their reach to rural users.

Open/Shared Access – We employ open access and shared network infrastructure to lower costs and drive local network governance models.

Capacity Building – We grow the ability of local entrepreneurs to deliver and support the network. This helps ensure sustainability and adds to the greater local tech economy and ecosystem in each of the countries where we work.

In 2012, Broadband for Good will focus on three goals:

Establishing a team of internal and external experts who will formalize and evolve the framework for use in multiple settings.

Building a collaborative alliance of organizations and individuals with a shared vision and the technical/organizational capacity to accelerate access to broadband in currently marginalized areas.

Identifying and rapidly deploying regional demonstration projects.

Beyond 2012, the Broadband for Good initiative and alliance will be well positioned to partner with governments and other interested organizations to roll out country-wide rural broadband initiatives. Google’s $2m grant is key to the initial development of the program’s methodology, alliance formation and early field projects.

If you are interested in supporting or partnering with Inveneo on the Broadband for Good initiative, please contact us at broadbandforgood@inveneo.org. Come join us as we change the world for the better through broadband.

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