C/B/734. Master's Dissertation. Which of the telecommunication systems is the most reliable, cost effective and sustainable way of providing basic telecom service to rural areas: the case of Nigeria?

Telecommunication is now considered a basic need and a necessity rather than a luxury in most parts of the world. However its penetration around the world has been inconsistent at best. Especially the majority of rural areas in developing countries have still not been provided with this essential means of communication which is now considered even more important due to their potential for catalysing socio-economic development in much needed rural areas. The new cellular technologies have created now possibilities in providing connectivity to the rural areas and reach where no telecom system has reached before. One of the key question however is that which of these technologies provides the most reliable, cost effective and sustainable way of providing basic telecom service to rural poor. This study therefore, evaluates a number of wireless technologies in the context of Nigerian rural areas to answer this question. The study draws on the rich literature on development informatics, and provides understanding of issues regarding the provision of telecommunication service in the rural setting. It takes a socio-technical view and the contextual issues such as political, economical and social realities are also given appropriate importance. Data is drawn from secondary sources, mostly qualitative that include organisational reports, demographic and geographic data, industry analyses and technological characteristics provided by the vendors. A wide range of literature is accessed through extensive use of library and electronic resources including electronic databases e.g. ABI Inform, Emerald and Web of Science using the Athens login facility. A variety of electronic journals are also used. Study concludes that the cost considerations, sustainability of the technology in long term and the local needs are key considerations in deciding the appropriate technology for rural areas. It recognises the differences in the local circumstances and shows that different solution may be appropriate in different countries or indeed different areas within the same country. It recommends that more empirical studies need to be done using longitudinal multiple case study approach to allow cross comparison and analysis of different initiative taken for rural connectivity in different parts of the world in order to share experiences and best practices.