Deploying and Sustaining Rural Telecommunication Infrastructure for
Rural Economic Development
(Draft) Submitted By Malebogo Babutsi (24379263) To Department of Computer Science Faculty of Science and Agicultue !ot" #est $ni%esity Mafi&eng 'am(us Sout" Afica Master of Science Supervisor: Prof. O. O. Ekabua 1 Problem Statement
The telecommunication industry has in the recent years experienced phenomenal growth not only in terms of new technologies, but also liberalisation to allow competition. Thus, the telecommunication industry continues to evolve. However, the challenge remains; what broadband network model is relevant to address rural areas economic development? This question primarily assumes the position that, although many technologies have been developed, rural areas set up difers from one to another in terms of deployment variable factors. lthough, there are many broadband network models that could provide connections to rural areas, it is mostly the rural areas characteristics that present connections challenges in terms of high connectivity costs. !or example lack of skilled man power and life"long education programmes in the rural areas, lack of technological gadgets market in the rural areas to match rural population#s needs as well as the sparsely located population of the rural areas $some short distance, while others are substantially distant apart%. Therefore the questions that arise are& is there a single broadband network model that could transform economic status of the rural areas' How can the rural broadband be sustained' (hat are the rural areas economic development potentials' Research Questions lthough the problem statement could provide a direction for this study, it is imperative without research questions to conclude any study. lso, research questions provide a guide, thus, they are a standard research procedure. Therefore, the following questions are intended for this study. ). How is rural broadband diferent from the urban broadband network' )). How will rural broadband help rural economic development' * ))). How to test and measure the rural broadband network model for e+ciency$cost and sustainability% Research Goal ,oals helps to stay focused to the target. ,etting lost to other issues is a common mistake in pro-ect study due to similarities between issues being studied and biasness due to personal interest. Therefore, besides the goal being one of the standard variables of any study, it provides a central point in reminding the study proponent the target of study. Hence, the main goal of this research study is to establish an e+cient rural telecommunication broadband network model for rural economic development. Research Objectives. lthough there are other procedures to follow when conducting a study, research ob-ectives provide a speci.c route on how to arrive or achieve the study goal. They also provide insight on stage progress as the study grows into a full /picture0, and they are as follow. ). 1evelop a telecommunication rural broadband network model. )). 1evelop a matric to measure the performance of the rural broadband network model. ))). )mplement the rural broadband network model. Research Methodology 2esearch methods form an essential and integral part towards reaching any conclusive position about phenomena#s being studied at any time. This is due to the principle that for any scienti.c conclusion to be drawn, an empirical process needs to underlay the study. 3 Thus, to determine deployment and ways to sustain a rural telecommunication broadband network intends to review literature across spectrum of network technologies, build or construct a model to observe the behavior of the network, and also intends to develop a metric to measure the model e+ciency. The research methods would also involve implementing the model and evaluating it. I. Literature Revie. 4urveyed literature needs to be reviewed to examine and asses facts. This also looks into methods used to conclude other related studies. The other purpose for reviewing literature is to interrogate concepts and trends on researched area. This provides clarity as what has already been researched and not. Therefore, it is intended to review closely related literature material. This should provide future research with what has been and not researched. The researched material would be acknowledged to provide easy reference for future research. II. Model !evelo"ment#$onstruction lthough models are abstract relative to the actual phenomena being studied, ) intend to construct a model for this study to observe the behavior of the network. This part is the only available way to put to test my proposition. III. Metric !evelo"ment Testing and measurement may provide an important part in this study, especially to test the model. Testing and measuring the e+ciency of the model has bearing on the validity of the study. Thus, ) intend to develop a matric to test and measure the model e+ciency. I%. Model Im"lementation 5nce the model has been developed, ) intend to implement it. This part simulates the study situation. ttention would at this stage placed on factors common to rural areas being studied. %. Model &valuation 6odel evaluation or model results analysis will conclude the simulation process. This stage is important as the whole study exercise results are premised on it. 7 Re'erences 819 :. ;ri<anovic, 1. =agar, and ;. ,rgic, >?conometric analysis of demographic and socio"economic factors in@uencing broadband adoption in Aroatian rural counties,> in Telecommunications (ConTEL), 2013 12th International Conference on, *B13, pp. *C3"*CC. 8*9 T. D. 5yana, >?xploring geographic disparities in broadband access and use in rural southern )llinoisE (hoFs being left behind',> *B1B. G