Macro-economic perspective

Connectivity is beneficial, but we aim for “useful connectivity” which provides a greater stimulus. We define “useful connectivity” as the bundle of hardware, software, skills and informed use that enables ICT infrastructure to be used more effectively.

We created the Connectivity Scorecard to show how the impact of ICT varies from country to country. We present the results at high-level meetings with government officials, industry groups and economic experts to show how countries can improve their performance. 

Rural networks
Rural areas with sparse populations and relatively low incomes present a challenge for telecoms operators to provide connections people can afford.

We created an innovative solution combined with a new business model that increases the viability of networks in remote areas and makes the network more affordable to use for low-income consumers. The key is to use local switching for calls within the community to avoid the often prohibitively high cost of connecting to the core network (known as “backhaul”) via either satellites or long-distance terrestrial links.

This approach also improves call quality, which encourages greater use of the network, and frees bandwidth for long-distance calls and more data transmission.

Countries using our local switching solution include Peru, Bangladesh and Yemen.