Internet society, AU collaborate to improve community networking
Networking
By Constance Imasuen
Abuja, July 16, 2018 (NAN) The Nigeria Internet Society and the African Union Commission are collaborating on guidelines to boost community networking of member states and increase internet access.
Mr Dewole Ajao, the President, Nigeria Internet Society made this disclosure on Monday in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said the society and the AU had found a model called “community networking works, a model where the people in that community decide what is important to them in terms of connectivity.’’
According to him, the model is a way of deploying cheap infrastructure to connect communities.
Ajao said the AU helps Africa member states with their regulations and improve governance and one of the ways they did it was through the Universal Service Funds (USF) by providing connectivity to the unconnected.
“Especially getting network operators to go to places that are not commercially viable.
“The model for the past several years have been that they will give money or subsidy to network operators to go to places where there is no commercial viability for the business.
“The problem with that model is that when an operator gets the subsidy to deploy services in such remote area and when they get there and no business from the people. the infrastructure will be wasted.
“Usually, the Telecommunications Companies will pull out of those areas and the things that are there will fall into disrepair,’’ he said.
“For this reason, the society found a model of community networking to ensure that the Universal Service Funds are taken to those communities they can figure out ways to sustain and grow the network.
“So that is what the internet society is doing with the African Union Commission, the guidelines that can be used to guide members’ states like Nigeria and other countries in Africa to ensure the funds are properly utilised,’’ he said.
He said a proposal had been made but not yet solidified to ensure that local internet society chapters could help build bridge between African Union and the ministries.
“Like now the minister will be outgoing in a coup of months and when a new minister comes on board, he will have to start all discussion over.
“`If the local internet society chapter can engage with government entity, there can be continuity in what they do. (NAN)
COA/GOM/GY
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Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Grace Yussuf