The Bruben
Community Network.
Community-owned broadband for Bruben, Mem-Chemfre and the surrounding Afram Plains — designed, built and sustained with the people it serves.
Bruben from above
Tower climb
Community durbar
People directly connected in Mem-Chemfre & Bruben
People in surrounding communities reached indirectly
Fully operational and community-supported
Tower at the Bruben Community Clinic
Watch The Network In Real Time
Live traffic on the Bruben backhaul, updated every 5 minutes straight from our monitoring server.
Monitored Around The Clock
Nagios, Zabbix and Uptime Kuma track network uptime, traffic utilization, device availability and service reliability — keeping the network stable year after year.
- 20 devices, 161 ports and 72 sensors under watch
- Live internet backhaul traffic in bits/sec, refreshed every 5 minutes
Bruben Community Network
Bruben & Mem-Chemfre, Afram Plains — Eastern Region, Ghana
The Afram Plains consist of rural and remote communities separated by rivers and lakes, where transportation depends on ferries and small canoes. Before this project, residents of Mem-Chemfre and Bruben struggled to make calls, access the internet, or take part in digital life — businesses, schools and clinics were largely excluded from Ghana's accelerating digital transformation.
The Bruben Community Network changed that. Through wireless transmission systems, hotspot access points, relay stations and locally hosted digital platforms, connectivity now reaches households, schools, clinics, teachers' bungalows, businesses and public institutions across Bruben, Mem-Chemfre and neighbouring communities including Faaso Battor, Citi-Kope and Cidikope.
Before connectivity — searching for signal
Operational since 2023
Still going strongThe Project In Pictures
Surveys, community durbars, tower climbs, relay builds and classroom installations across Bruben and Mem-Chemfre.
Bruben from above
Community durbar
School ICT lab install
Sector antenna, tower top
Core network cabinet
Township relay point
Engagement session
Starlink backhaul
Feasibility survey · GPS mapped on-site
Wireless link planning
Network topology design
An Island Of Communities, Finally Connected
Mem-Chemfre and Bruben sit within the larger Afram Plains island area, surrounded by roughly fifteen other communities separated by lakes and rivers. The communities are predominantly agrarian — fishing and farming drive the local economy — yet they are home to senior high schools, junior high schools, primary schools, clinics and active local markets.
During the feasibility phase, GPS coordinates were collected on-site and a detailed digital network map was developed using Google Earth and Microsoft Visio to design optimal wireless coverage and relay point positioning across the community.
Built With The Community, Not Just For It
The Step Network team engaged community leaders and residents before and during implementation. Community meetings were organized to explain the benefits of the project and encourage local participation — building the ownership and support that keep the network running today.
Engagement session
Community durbar
School ICT lab
A Fully Wireless Community Network
Deployed on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrum — from satellite backhaul to 360-degree community relay coverage.
Starlink Gen3 Backhaul
A dedicated Starlink Satellite Gen3 connection mounted on the 35-meter clinic tower, feeding the network core through the firewall WAN port.
Core Network Cabinet
1U Armortec firewall server, D-Link PoE+ switch, fibre interconnections and a 3000VA UPS providing two hours of backup power.
Base Station & Sector Antenna
An airMAX Rocket Prism 5AC with a 5 GHz sector antenna at the tower top delivers point-to-multipoint coverage across Bruben.
Community Relay Points
LiteBeam 5AC bridges, Rocket M2 access points and omni-directional antennas replicate 360° coverage across the township, DSTV Center and Pentecost area.
More Than Internet — A Local Digital Ecosystem
Alongside connectivity, the project introduced locally hosted platforms that keep working even on lean bandwidth, and a captive portal where users register, log in, purchase vouchers and manage subscriptions.
Health Portal
Locally hosted health information resources for clinics and residents.
E-Learning System
A virtual learning management system for schools and learners.
Community Payment System
Voucher and payment platform powering the cost-recovery model.
Cloud Storage Platform
Local cloud services that work even on lean bandwidth.
User dashboard & vouchers
Hotspot bundle pricing
Portal login
What We Set Out To Do
Provided internet connectivity to underserved communities
Introduced a virtual learning system for schools and learners
Improved digital literacy within beneficiary communities
Supported local businesses through digital access
Enhanced communication and information sharing
Increased access to online services and digital resources
What Changed
The Internet Society Foundation supported the initiative as part of its mission to promote an open, secure and accessible internet for all. 48percent collaborated with Step Network to support equitable internet access and bridge the digital divide.
Every Deployment Teaches Us More
Bruben is our flagship — but each project grows our ability to connect the communities that need it most.
