TeleWeaver: An Innovative Telecommunication Platform for Marginalized Communities in Africa
Lorenzo Dalvit 1, Sibukele Gumbo 2, Lindikaya Ntshinga 3 and Alfredo Terzoli 3 1 School of Journalism and Media Studies, Humanities faculty of Rhodes University,
Grahamstown, South Africa 2 Department of Computer Science, Science and Agriculture faculty of Fort Hare University,
South Africa 3 Department of Computer Science, Science faculty of Rhodes University, Grahamstown,
South Africa l. dalvit @ ru. ac. za sgumbo @ ufh. ac. za l. ntshinga @ ru. ac. za a. terzoli @ ru. ac. za
Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies for Development( ICT4D) is becoming an increasingly important and multi‐faceted area of research and software development. Particularly through provision via mobile devices, e‐services can potentially reach and improve the lives of millions of people living in marginalised areas. The efforts of many governments in sub‐Saharan Africa are frustrated by poor telecommunication infrastructure, lack of skills and unsustainable models of intervention. In this paper we describe the holistic solution offered by the TeleWeaver platform. The novel approach to the development of the software, the strong sense of social responsibility of the developers and the collaborative spirit that shaped the ecosystem of which TeleWeaver is part, warrants the adoption of an innovative approach to its marketing and implementation. On the one hand, the project needs to provide returns on investment and generate profit for the key stakeholders( i. e. government at the local and national level, academia, industry and socioentrepreneurs in the target community). On the other, it must benefit all members of the marginalised communities it is intended to serve as well as the global community of software developers. TeleWeaver was developed in close collaboration with the community of Dwesa, a rural area on the Wild Cost of the Transkei regions in eastern South Africa. To our knowledge, this is the first adaptation of the living lab approach to the co‐creation of e‐services in an African context. In this paper we discuss three innovative aspects of the TeleWeaver solution which respond to these needs. Firstly, the use of a service oriented architecture within an ICT4D solution enables a community‐centred approach in which different services can be“ interwoven” around each individual user. Profiles can be shared across applications and the platform does not consider the same person as two separate users of e‐health and e‐judiciary services, for instance. Secondly, a new cost and revenue stream model was necessary to make ICT infrastructure sustainable in areas characterised by endemic poverty. Contrary to the“ bottom of the pyramid” approach followed by many ICT implementations, we envisage local stakeholders such as municipalities or small businesses implementing the platform to generate revenues through advertising, data harvesting and support of third‐party interventions. Thirdly, TeleWeaver is released under a dual‐licensing model which includes a reciprocal open‐source licence. This model protects the interests of the developers and commercial enterprises implementing the platform while allowing for free and open use by NGOs and members of marginalised communities( Heeks 2008). After six years of development, implementation and testing in an actual deep‐rural community, TeleWeaver is ready as an organic and sustainable alternative to centralised models of e‐ services implementation in Africa.
Keywords: middleware, cost and revenue sharing, service oriented architecture, dual licensing, open‐source
1. Introduction
The potential of ICT for the social and economic development of marginalised communities has been widely recognized( International Telecommunications Union 2011). Africa lags behind in terms of ICT infrastructure and services as well as Internet connectivity. The continent represents an untapped territory for the provision of new telecommunication services which combine technical innovation with a developmental focus( Tongia 2006). South Africa combines an established telecommunication industry, capable of competing in the global market, with remote areas, representative of many rural African realities. This puts the country in the best position to pioneer the creation and implementation of new solutions( Gillwald 2008). The current sociopolitical climate and legal framework seem amiable to this type of innovations, at least at the level of political discourse and planning.
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