Rethinking Network Connectivity in Rural Communities in Cameroon

Abstract: To bridge the digital divide between the urban and rural regions, the government of Cameroon has launched the Multipurpose Community Telecentres (MCT). But this project does not seems to sustain the local development. The aim of this study is threefold: to determine the ICT penetration in rural Cameroon and Internet adoption; to evaluate the impact of MCTs in rural region and to provide some recommendations for both the network planning and the development of suitable services. The study considers two rural communities in Cameroon. The results show that despite low incomes, and MCTs that are missing their goal, there is some readiness of local populations to welcome ICT projects in order to improve their daily life and activities. To design sustainable ICT projects for those regions, we provide some recommendations from network design to business strategy.