How a rural community built SA’s first ISP owned and run by a co-operative
Mankosi is a remote rural community in the Eastern Cape. It is home to almost 6,000 people. The nearest city is Mthatha, about 60km away as the bird flies. Most homes are not connected to the electricity grid; residents charge their cellphones at a local shop or shebeen, for which they must pay. Both data and airtime for those phones also cost a lot: a survey shows that people spend up to 22% of their income on telecommunications. This is money that could be spent on food, education, transport and other needs. They’re not alone. SA has some of the highest mobile voice and data costs in the world. Yet things are changing in Mankosi. A research team at the University of the Western Cape has worked with residents to develop a solar-powered wireless community network. Zenzeleni constitutes a fully fledged ISP, equipped with an internet and voice-over internet protocol (VOIP) gateway, community managers, and a billing system in isiXhosa. The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Ic...
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