Session
Organizer 1: Jabhera Matogoro, Tanzania Community Networks Alliance
Speaker 1: Jane Coffin, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Josef Noll, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: CATHERINE R. KIMAMBO, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Jane Coffin, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
CATHERINE R. KIMAMBO, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Jabhera Matogoro, Civil Society, African Group
Round Table - U-shape - 60 Min
What are the required policy and regulatory frameworks required to support community network cooperatives in Tanzania? How does digital literacy initiative contributes in addressing the usage gap in Tanzania What are the required parameters in building a sustainable business model for community network in Tanzania
Connection with previous Messages: Tanzania School of Community Networks are designed to address the issue of the digital divide gap in rural Tanzania by providing alternative and cheaper Internet connectivity solutions to the marginalized communities, in the quest to aid them attain universal access and meaningful connectivity as indicated in IGF 2021 Outcomes (https://www.intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/223/20706).
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Targets: Tanzania School of Community Networks is designed to address the issue of the digital divide gap in rural Tanzania by providing alternative and cheaper Internet connectivity solutions to the marginalized communities, in the quest to aid them attain goals’ 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth),9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 10 (reduced inequalities) and 17(partnerships for the goals) of the UN SDGs.
Description:
The number of Internet users globally was estimated to be 4.9 billion people in 2021, nearly 63% of the global population (ITU, 2021). When comparing the percentage of individuals using the Internet between various regions, Europe is leading with 87% of its people being connected to the global Internet followed by Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Americas. In Africa, the percentage of individuals using the Internet (per 100 inhabitants) was estimated to be only 33% in 2021, far below the global average statistics of Internet users. When comparing individuals using the Internet over various regions, Europe was the region with the highest Internet usage rates, and Africa has the lowest Internet usage rates (International Telecommunication Union, 2019). In Tanzania, having a population of about 54.3 million (Tanzania Economic Survey book, 2019), the number of Internet users was estimated to be 29.9 Million in December 2021 with an Internet penetration rate of 50% in 2021 an increase from 17.2 Million in 2015 with an Internet penetration rate of 34%. The voice telephone subscribers stand at 54.1 Million with a penetration rate of 91% (Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, 2021) an increase from 39.8 Million in 2015 with an Internet penetration rate of 79%. Hence, there are more voice telephone subscribers compared to those for Internet use. In Tanzania, almost half of the population remains unconnected and unable to benefit from participation in the digital economy due to limited access to Internet services. When comparing the number of connected schools with those with no Internet access, the number is less than the unconnected ones. For instance, only 39.9% of 18,152 (Public and private) primary schools have internet while only 32.6% of 5,143 (Public and private) secondary schools have internet connectivity.It is against this background the University of Dodoma initiated a nationwide multi-stakeholder school connectivity programme aimed in ensuring that every secondary school has access to computers and Internet services in Tanzania. Tanzania School of Community Networks is a nationwide initiative advocating for alternative and complementary approaches such as community networks in connecting the unconnected in Tanzania. So far, three community network cooperative societies have been registered in Kondoa (www.kcn.or.tz), Kasulu (www.kacn.or.tz) and Nyasa (www.ncn.or.tz) to connect communities and schools in Tanzania.
Tanzania School of Community Networks (TZSCN) is a maiden programme that aims to create an empowered knowledge community member capable of playing a critical role in building a sustainable community networks infrastructure, creating local content for digital inclusion, shaping policies and regulation that govern the evolution and use of community networks cooperative. Also, the school is designed to help individual’s community networks cooperative in Tanzania and East Africa to better understand the national, regional, and global Internet Governance issues, settings, and processes, in the quest to build a critical mass of Internet governance and community-based telecommunication policy ambassadors. It further promotes the creation and growth of community networks cooperative, increase collaboration between community network operators, and provide an opportunity for them to engage with each other. The intended outcomes include: • Improved capacity on Internet governance covering infrastructure basket, security basket, legal basket, economic basket, development basket, socio-cultural basket, human rights basket and Internet governance actors • Localized digital content and learning materials in Swahili. • Gain technical and non-technical skills on addressing the digital divide. • Participate in the installation and sight visit of wireless infrastructure during the event. • Improved skills in designing, administration and management of community-based telecommunication networks. • Participating in discussion aimed to develop sustainable business model for community network. The expected specific outcomes of this session are publications and follow-up events in Tanzania and East Africa.
Hybrid Format: Remote participants will access the session through zoom platform. The link will be shared as dates and time are confirmed.
Usage of IGF Official Tool.