Introduction

The internet has become one of the most important tools for economic development and social inclusion in recent times. Its relevance became more profound in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which virtually brought the world to a halt. Increasingly, almost every economic and social activity has gone online, making access to connectivity a critical issue. Ghana is no exception to this trend; however, the extensive connectivity gaps are a barrier to the utilization of technology for economic and social advancement.

Situational

The Afram Plains is an island located in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It hosts several communities, which are largely described as rural and remote. Mem-Chemfre and Bruben are two of the major communities. They have a vibrant local economy with a significant number of public establishments offering critical social services. The introduction of digitalization across the country has been phenomenal; however, the lack of access to connectivity in communities like Mem-Chemfre and Bruben is a social inequality that is denying businesses and citizens the opportunity to use digital resources to improve their lives. Without any immediate intervention, the communities and adjoining communities may continue to be socially and economically excluded, with debilitating consequences for the local economy. It is for this reason that this project has been conceived to extend connectivity to the Mem-Chemfre and Bruben communities and adjoining communities. The picture and link below show the experiences of people regarding lack of access to connectivity.

Residents of Mem-Chemfre and Bruben struggling to get network to make calls or browse the internet.

Proposed Intervention

The Mem-Chemfre & Bruben Community Network project is aimed at providing access to connectivity in Mem-Chemfre & Bruben. Three other adjoining communities and islands, namely Faaso Battor, Citi-Kope, and Cidikope, which are within 2.5km from Bruben, will also be beneficiaries. The connectivity will be accessible by households, schools, clinics, and other public and private establishments located in these localities. This will be done through the establishment of hotspots and the installation of transmission devices at strategic locations in the community to provide connectivity. Additionally, the following content specifically developed for the project will be included: a health portal, a learning management system, a payment system, and a community-based online radio.

Project Objectives

The project broadly seeks to extend connectivity to Bruben and its adjoining communities. Specifically, the project will achieve the following:

1. Provide Internet Connectivity
2. Provide Virtual Learning System
3. Provide digital literacy skills.

Location Characteristics

Mem-Chemfre & Bruben are communities located within the bigger island of Afram Plains. They are surrounded by 15 other communities which are separated by lakes and rivers and only accessible by small canoes and ferry. The population of Mem-Chemfre & Bruben are 5,500 however the combined population of the other communities that potentially will benefit from the project is about 27,400. The communities are predominantly agrarian (Fishing and Farming). Though a rural community, Mem-Chemfre & Bruben has S.H.S, J.H.S. and Primary schools, clinics and a thriving local economy..

A digital satellite map of the Bruben Community using Google Earth.

Project Rationale

Ghana has embarked on an ambitious digitalization program, and every facet of its economic and social life is riding on digitalization. Unfortunately, many rural communities that are far-flung and remote, such as Mem-Chemfre and Bruben, have no connectivity. This digital divide has created social inequalities and limited opportunities for the 5,500 people residing within that catchment area. This project is conceived as a social right and is expected to serve as an enabler for the development of the community.

Expected Outcomes 

The project is expected to have long-lasting benefits for the community. The specific outcomes to be achieved are as follows:

1. Internet use by public establishments like schools, clinics and households increased.
2. Digital Skills improved.
3. Local digital economy developed.
4. Learning outcomes improved
5. Livelihood opportunities increased

Partners

The Internet Society Foundation is a non-profit organization that funds initiatives to improve the Internet's functionality and reach. Their mission is to ensure the internet is open, secure, trustworthy, and accessible to everyone. They champion the use of the network as a critical technical infrastructure that can bring communities better education, healthcare, and economic opportunity, among other important areas of focus. They believe that by working together, we can use the Internet to shape a better future for us all and positively impact humanity worldwide.

48percent is a non-profit organization that works to bridge the digital divide by promoting equitable access to internet connectivity. Their name reflects the statistic that, when they started, roughly 48% of the world's population lacked internet access. Their mission of ensuring everyone has access to meaningful internet connectivity closely aligns with our commitment to actively promote development by providing individuals with essential digital skills and offering valuable online tools for socioeconomic progress.

Community leadership engagement

The Step Network team, led by Victor Asante, met with the leadership of the Bruben community to outline the benefits of the Bruben Community Network. He highlighted how the initiative will enhance educational opportunities, support local businesses to boost economic growth and improve community infrastructure. Additionally, the project will introduce health and wellness programs and foster greater community engagement through various outreach activities. Victor emphasized that these efforts aim to bring sustainable, positive changes, significantly improving the quality of life for all community members.

Implementation Details

The following sections describe the technical aspects of the Mem-Chemfre & Bruben Community Network. The ultimate goal is to enable everyone who wishes to comprehend how things work.

The network shall install several software programs, hardware devices, and internet connections in the communities to provide wireless internet to the communities without any hindrances.

The Spectrum

The network is completely wireless. The Mem-Chemfre & Bruben Community Network design emphasizes the strategic use of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. These frequency bands play a crucial role in delivering reliable, high-speed wireless connectivity to the community.

Digital Map

The digital network map was designed using Google Earth when the team arrived at Bruben to do feasibility. The coordinates were taken using GPS on an Android phone. The team plotted the satellite coordinates using Google Earth

Internet Connection

The network required dedicated internet. The connection is solely devoted to the project use. The connection is typically delivered via a Telecel Ghana Radwin, 2000 Alpha Point-to-Point Radio. This is to have a stable connection to the internet and higher bandwidth.

Physical Network

At the top of the tower with Telecel Ghana Radwin, 2000 Alpha Antenna Point-to-Point Radio

The physical network starts at the top of the radio tower at Bruben Community Clinic with the Telecel Ghana Radwin 2000 Alpha Antenna Point-to-Point Radio. An outdoor Cat6 cable runs from the Telecel Ghana Radwin 2000 Alpha Antenna down to an outdoor cabinet. The cable then connects to a gigabit PoE adapter, and from the gigabit PoE adapter's LAN port, it connects to the LAN port of a 1U Armortec firewall server.

Inside the outdoor cabinet

We connected the 1U Armortec App server, which runs the payment app, Nagios monitoring system, Zabbix monitoring system, Uptime Kuma, and community local content, to one of the LAN ports of the firewall server using a Cat6 patch cable. We connected a fibre optic patch cable from the firewall server's SFP port to the SFP port of the D-Link DGS-F1210-18PS PoE+ switch. Additionally, we connected an outdoor Cat6 patch cable from the LAN port of the D-Link DGS-F1210-18PS PoE+ switch to a NanoSwitch. In the outdoor cabinet, there is a Litewave 3000VA UPS, which provides approximately 2 hours of backup power for all the equipment in the outdoor cabinet and on top of the 35-meter tower.

At the top of the tower with Sector antenna and Bullet M2 Radio

From the NanoSwitch, two outdoor Cat6 patch cables run from the outdoor cabinet to the top of the 35-meter tower. At the top of the tower, there is an airMAX Rocket Prism 5AC paired with an airMAX 5 GHz, 19/20 dBi, 120° Sector antenna, which propagates a 270-degree 5 GHz wireless point-to-point signal to Bruben. Additionally, an Ubiquiti Bullet M2 is paired with a TP-Link Omni-directional Antenna (TL-ANT2415D 2.4GHz, 15 dB) to propagate an open wireless signal (internet) to the area around the clinic and the teachers' bungalow.

Bruben Township Relay Points

At Bruben Main Township, we mounted a pole with an airMAX LiteBeam 5AC Bridge (5 GHz) configured in station mode at the top, linked directly to the base station through point-to-point means. On the pole, there is an airMAX Rocket M2 paired with a 2.4 GHz, 13 dBi Omni Antenna configured in Access Point (AP) mode. Outdoor Cat6 patch cables run from the airMAX LiteBeam and airMAX Rocket M2 down the pole to the NanoSwitch PoE output ports. The NanoSwitch, which has four ports, includes one port for PoE input and three ports for PoE output. The NanoSwitch is powered via a PoE adapter connected to a power outlet next to a member's house. This setup will be repeated for neighboring communities. These relay points propagate a 360-degree 2.4GHz wireless signal throughout Bruben and its neighboring communities.

More relay points will be updated very soon.

Sustainability Plan

To ensure financial sustainability, Step Network has developed a robust payment app that will allow all users to pay for the service. It is expected that users will pay affordable rates to ensure the recurrent costs like the internet and other basic operational expenses are met. (This will be updated very soon)

The Local Cloud (Local Content)

Additionally, local content or applications will be uploaded to the system that will address the specific needs of the community. These include the health portal, the e-learning platform, and the community-based radio. It is anticipated that the use of these applications will increase traffic and ensure additional revenue is raised to sustain the project. (This will be updated very soon)

Monitoring systems

Furthermore, a robust monitoring system has been developed to check the network status and ensure that the infrastructure is resilient and reliable. The system was developed using Nagios, Zabbix and Uptime Kuma. Related to the monitoring system, two people will be trained to manage the system. They will be tasked to undertake basic trouble-shooting activities as and when they occur. (This will be updated very soon)

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