Microsoft Testing Solar-Powered Broadband Access in Kenya

Published on: 5th Feb 2013

­Microsoft, in collaboration with the Kenyan government and Indigo Telecom announced the launch of a pilot project delivering low-cost wireless broadband access to previously unserved locations near Nanyuki and Kalema, Kenya.

The network utilizes TV white spaces and solar-powered base stations to deliver broadband access to the end users. This pilot is part of Microsoft's broader 4Afrika Initiative, to help improve the continent's global competitiveness.

TV white spaces, the unused portions of wireless spectrum in the frequency bands generally used for television, are particularly well-suited for delivering low-cost broadband access to rural and other unserved communities. Radio signals in the TV bands travel over longer distances and penetrate more obstacles than other types of radio signals and, therefore, require fewer base stations to provide ubiquitous coverage.

Microsoft said that it intends to use this pilot and other similar initiatives to encourage African governments to make the needed legal and regulatory changes that would allow this type of technology to be deployed continentwide.

"Microsoft was built on the idea that technology should be accessible and affordable to the masses, and to date, this promise has remained unfulfilled in Africa," said Louis Otieno , Legal and Corporate Affairs director for Africa initiatives at Microsoft. "This technology has the potential to deliver on the promise of universal and affordable high-speed wireless broadband for Africa, and we are proud and humbled to be part of this important effort."

The initial installation near Nanyuki includes five customer locations - a healthcare clinic, several schools and a library. The installation in Kalema will begin with a base station that connects to a government of Kenya agricultural extension office. Fourteen more locations on the network will be added in the coming months.

The network will also feature white space radios manufactured by Adaptrum.

 

Tags: [microsoft]  [indigo telecom]  [Kenya]