Insights From the Edge
Collaboration for Connectivity: A Digital Access, Inclusion and Participation
In “Collaboration for Connectivity: A Digital Access, Inclusion and Participation” (author: Troy Etulain), the focus is on how inclusive, co-designed broadband partnerships unlock access to education, health, livelihoods and civic voice for displaced and host communities. It calls for community-led models, measurable outcomes (e.g., hours learning, income change, participation), and risk mitigation (privacy, safety) to ensure connectivity drives social impact—not just infrastructure.
The Hyper-Promise of Artificial Intelligence for Hyper-Personalization
The article argues for AI-driven hyper-personalization in international development: shift from broad, program-level design to individual-level investments guided by data (especially CDRs) and algorithms. Benefits include greater recipient autonomy, tighter donor–beneficiary feedback loops, and use of data-portability tools (e.g., Data Transfer Project, digi.me). It also lists ethical/legal risks—bias, privacy, consent, coercion, gaming—and urges the sector to skill up with private-sector partners and start piloting now.
Finally! Accurate Mobile Network Coverage Maps Show Connectivity Reality
Most mobile coverage maps exaggerate service by using perfect circles around towers, ignoring terrain and population distribution. Vanu and FHI 360 created detailed, data-driven maps for Africa and Asia that reveal the true extent of connectivity gaps—such as 90,000 people in Harar, Ethiopia previously assumed “covered.” These precise maps enable operators to identify viable rural markets and prove that even small villages can be profitable with low-cost base stations and realistic subscriber models.
On the Edge of Edge: Why Advancements in Edge Computing Could Shift the Paradigm for Remote Connectivity, Internet of Things and Digital Development
The article argues that edge computing—servers placed on or near towers that store/process data locally—can transform connectivity and IoT in remote markets by delivering low-latency content (often via Wi-Fi) at far lower cost. It surveys momentum and hurdles: GSMA’s Telco Edge Cloud search for new revenue models, N50’s Zambia pilot caching local-language content, open-source Magma, ICANN’s “hyperlocal” work, LEO satellites as complements, and encryption limits on caching. The takeaway: start designing edge-based services now to reach underserved users affordably.