IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2015 - 26

Figure 9. View from one of the 60-m (200-ft) towers.

to consider in the conception and implementation of
socially focused telecommunications interventions in
areas that are not attractive to telecoms and that present social, economic, and health challenges. While the
recommendations are focused on microwave towerbased infrastructure for long-distance communication,
they can be applied to other technologies and deployments, such as satellite communications and local or
regional mesh networks.

Partnership
While the first challenge is the (funding entity's) clear definition of short, medium, and long-term objectives, the
second challenge is the identification of a local partner
organization that focuses on similar goals and objectives. Project calls, public announcements, and the use
of already widely known expert partner organizations may
seem appealing. However, investment of time in search of
other potential partners is encouraged. Many other potential partners are well qualified but lack the know-how to
write proposals, prepare formal documentation, or to
speak the language of the funding organization. Concrete
implementation examples will be more effective than well
elaborated proposals or flashy presentation brochures.
With this understanding as a basis, there are important aspects that we consider desirable in an organization for having effective, responsible, and long-term
success in the intervention. On the technical side, it is
desirable that a potential partner has a track record and
experience in the technical, logistical, and other aspects
of remote long-haul rural connectivity interventions. It
is important that the institution favors the utilization of
appropriate technology and that such institution is not
"locked" to a single equipment manufacturer. It is also
important that the institution does not subcontract all
the work to a single entity, as this generally implies a disconnection from the local realities.

Another key requirement is that the institution has
a track record of direct involvement in the sustainability of these initiatives beyond the funding period. This
requirement is generally proven by having business
creation components in project development cycles.
Naturally having these components implies that the
organization possesses experience working with locals
for capacity building, small business creation, and
incubation of small businesses and entrepreneurs for
medium and long-term periods.
Preferably, the institution is a national organization of
the target country. Preferably it also has ties to target locations, if these are known. Another important requirement
is an integral and multidisciplinary vision of the area where
the intervention will take place. Some areas present complex realities dictated by culture, religion, superstitions,
and other components, even more so if communities have
been isolated and technology had not been present.
Social enterprises, foundations, NGOs, cooperatives,
and for-profit enterprises are all appropriate for partnership. It is important to note that one must not be misled
by the nature of the potential partnering organization.
Instead, put emphasis on the mission, vision, goals, and
track record of the organizations for providing appropriate solutions with the desired components. Social enterprises are attractive as they are generally tied to areas with
high degree of community building and have had better
results in areas where stockholder-like private for-profit
organizations have not had success [20]. Another attraction of social enterprise organizations is the fact that they
are more aggressive than Foundations and NGOs, which
also have some characteristics of private for-profit institutions [20]. Additionally, their diversification of sources of
income welcomes partnership, thus depending not only
on grants, but also providing entrepreneurship, creating
sources of employment, and investing back any earnings
into the very community they serve.
In practice, however, finding an organization with all
the above requirements is not always possible. In such
cases, priority needs to be given to the most significant
characteristics, and the missing components need to be
leveraged through the funding institution's experience in
the area, or through the partnership with additional institutions, subject to the requirements described above. In
another remote data connectivity project that is being carried out in Bolivia, for example, an institution with at least
two desired characteristics was not available. Given the
government regulations on NGOs and the current pressing
needs, recent graduates were recruited through the IEEE
Section, local universities, and other institutions. Then the
Peru project was used as a basis to transfer knowledge
and know-how to these students. This process has resulted in the creation of an enterprise that will be the first in
the nation that includes all the desirable characteristics.

IEEE TEchnology and SocIETy MagazInE

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MARCH 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2015