Many Malawians especially those in rural areas will be able to start accessing cheap internet starting this month as part of a project that will be rolled out countrywide.
This will happen as C3 Communications, a communication services provider and the first commercial entity to deploy countrywide TV White Spaces (TVWS) will conduct TVWS trials for a period of nine months countrywide.
Most Malawians living in rural areas are poor and only 6.5 percent are connected to the internet. To reach this population, C3 is building a new network that relies on unused frequencies in the television spectrum called “TV white spaces -TVWS”, with plans to extend it throughout the country.
The connectivity will then be distributed to the user communities with a new efficient and affordable last mile technology using TVWS and Dynamic Spectrum. Users will then access the network via Wi-Fi.
“It’s a cheap and effective way of having internet,” a 17-year-old Elizabeth Kananji, a second year student at the Malawi Polytechnic.
“Not all people are able to access the net as they have to pay the service providers, which is a challenge with the high prices, but with TVWS you don’t have to pay as long as you have your gadgets. You’re good to go, which is amazing,” Kananji told the local press.
Malawi has emerged to be the first country in the world to deploy TVWS nationwide. The project has received praise worldwide, with the United Nations and the International Telecommunications Union saying it is a viable and cost-effective way to reach rural areas with internet services.
Globally, TVWS has provided an alternative means of providing internet to remote and underserved areas without using traditional internet spectrum (radio spectrum), which experts say is becoming congested.
According to the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), C3 is the only company in Malawi that has shown interest in running the project.
“We are anticipating initial launch of some parts of the infrastructure in November, however, since we are not only looking at TVWS we are building towers, installing Wi-Fi hotspots, backhaul links, some of these will be ready before end November. We can then announce the official launch date,” said Richard Chisala from C3.
He added that the company did research and assessed all the internet service providers in Malawi and found that internet is more expensive in Malawi than in other countries.
Meanwhile, Malawi has just concluded the TVWS technical trial project, a collaborative effort of MACRA, the Chancellor College physics department and Marconi Wireless Lab T/ ICT4D of Italy.
The project is aimed at promoting research and development in the field of ICT, according to MACRA’s Deputy Director of Spectrum Management Jonathan Pinifolo.
The TVWS was piloted in Zomba in 2013 at St Mary’s Secondary School, the Malawi Defence Force’s Air wing, Pirimiti Rural Hospital and the Geological Survey Department.
Malawi is among several countries that carried out a pilot projects. The other countries include U.S., United Kingdom, South Africa and Kenya.
Tikufuna chakudya osati Internet chamba eti
Kusowa zouza anthu kumeneko,.fuck u all,
kusonyeza kuti kulibe anthu ophunzira kumudzi? bwanji oppose chirichonse mwamva kuti kuno kulibe chimanga?
Kani zimasiyana?
As much as we want internet in rural areas, we first need the basics of life eg cheap fertilizer, farm imputs, good roads etc
instead ov providing water @ must you are buzy toking ov internet,,,,indirect cash gate,,,,wat about hunger wic has almost engulfed the whole malawi,,,kkkkkkk,,,,really education makes pipo become foolz ,,,,,will we poor,malawians eat internet,,,,hou can you provide pipo wit internet wen pipo are hungly,,,,””EDIT UR PLANZ””
Ngakhale manyazi mulibe,munthu angaone bwani enternent ali ndi njala yakufanayo? Mindness,
Tipanga bwanji internet pamene magetsi kulibe,poti fn ya internet imafuna magetsi pafupi pafupi,shupit
Mbuzi
munthu ama user ka donodo
You are buzy with internet instead of solving electricity and water problem
Hahahaha! Iyi pa chisena timati Misala mtundu ukulu.
Moti anthu akumudzi mudziwauza kuti muwabweretsera chimamga, nde mukuwauza za internet. Olo kumufunsa munthu okalamba wakwa Changoima, kuti internet ndi chani, angakuyankheni eti?
Kkkkkkk kod phon imeneyonso muli internet
ok,kodi paja munthu umatha kulowa pa net uli ndinjala eti?
Malawi pangani ndondomeko bwinobwino ya zitukuko,,palipano internet ai,muwapatse anthu chakudya chokwanira,madzi,magetsi mankhwala muzipatala chitetezo ndiye kenako za internet zanuzo,,musatengere za maiko ena
To hell with your negative ideas!this is a welcome idea,mpamene a Malawi ambiri akhale ozindikira!!!!!!!!
Nzopanda pake ndakwiya bazo zima no nsens
May be
Koma chitukuko chinachi
How can some one browse internet while empty in stomach.Ithougt that you are going to tell us that the price of maize have gone down.Dog shit
That wl encourage lazines and poverty.
how can they access Internet while the foni is not charged a charger pa candle kodi? Where is electricity? za ziiii
Ife musatipase za satanic zimenezo. We got 9c fone we dnt depend on other pipo.
Bma porno aphweka
This is just another scam, are people in the rural areas going to given smart phones and be sensetised how to use them, if yes these guys are going to sale these phones to urban people due to poverty.
U think rulal Areas people are poor?urban are rich?shame Anthu Mutown akuvutika akusowa ndi Phonie yomwee
Sunafike ku typical village, kumeme anthu akalima, amachita kusowa agula katunduyo chifukwa anthu alibe dola, am talking about practical experience not an opinion.unaymba wafika kuseli kwa misuku hills chitipa or net work ndi tz, ukafuna network ya malawi umayenera kuyenda 3km.
Thts good but will they be able to use the net?.cz some of them ndosaphunzila
Pple in the rural area needs roads,hospitals,schools and other basic needs not internet
Adya internet anthu,malo mowaphuzitsi za malimidwe abwino,mvula ndiye yayamba.
Pakufunika civic education kuti zitheka,kwa iye ndi halo ndikumamvera nyimbo za Gwaladi basi,za internet samadzidziwa.
Za ziii osawapatsa zinthu zoti ziwathandize pa umoyo wawo watsiku ndi tsiku bwanji? adya internet? provide them with good farming infrastructures eg cheap fertilizer, treddle pumps, tractors just to mention a few,,, internet ndizapambuyo
Don’t always wait for someone to give.
But? whats the use of the government and those VAT for?
Moti iwe siumadziwa kufunika kwa Cheap internet? Especially in rural areas…
Tell me then!
Good idea
Zingayende coz Malawi pakalipano even kuno kunja tikamagula ma mobile apamwamba Ku ma Pep stores amatiseka kusonyeza kuti manyasafe ndife osalira kwambiri pankani ya zitukuko zamakono muno mu African countries, so, zina kumayesesakodi pang’ono kupita chitsogolo antuni!!!
Ine Ndim’Malawi wakumudzi kwenikweni kwa Mtuwambuzi, Kodi Internet’zo Nde Zakudya Zanji? Kkkkkk!
Get to the other end first and then say “bravo or thank you”
mafoni akumudzi kma mukuwaziwa ndi ma two sim okha okha internet yake munena inuyo
Akuvuta magesi
And you will hear someone give them maize kulinjala anthuwa ndi osauka. kkkkkkkkkk malawi wanga!
Good thinking
Good idea