Wireless School Connectivity Project

According to the organisers, building up and rolling out the project required collaborative efforts from various stakeholders whose inputs were crucial in making the school connectivity project work. The project established relationships with four main stakeholders who helped to deliver the internet to the school: the ISP, the backbone service provider, the regulator, and a school training organisation, World Links Zimbabwe - to conduct training. The internet gateway services were provided by the ISP Zarnet. The arrangement with Zarnet was that they would offer free gateway connectivity for the project and technical support in setting up and configuring the network.

The backbone infrastructure provider, called PowerTel, made available the fiber network connection from the school to the ISP. The agreement with PowerTel was that they would provide, free of cost, data-carrying services and allow the project to use their masts to mount the radios for the "first mile" wireless link. Discussion with The Postal and Telecommunication Regulator (Potraz) allowed the project to get the necessary authority to use the 2.4GHz frequency spectrum for the purposes of connecting schools to the internet. The use of this frequency band in Zimbabwe is very restricted and the project was allowed to use it on the basis that it was for a non-commercial application and for a limited period of use.

The project involved not only setting up the wireless system, but also training teachers on how to use it and how to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their classroom and regular lessons. Organisers say that the focus was more on integrating ICTs into the curriculum, making sure teachers knew how they could use them in different ways in teaching and learning, than on simply training the teachers on how the technology functions. The organisers believe that in this way students do not just learn about ICTs and how they work, but understand and appreciate the many ways in which they can be used and applied, giving them an upper hand in today's technology-driven environment.

ICTs, Education.

According to the organisers, there are several strategic learning points from the project.

Lesson 1: Define the technology need correctly - just as any development action should be in response to an identified need, the same is applicable to ICTs in school networking. Organisers say that, although it is tempting to assume that the more technological the solution, the better, organisations implementing ICT projects need to consider the true underlying need in the mind of the users.

Lesson 2: Firm partnerships assist in effective implementation - technology-focused projects are not without their challenges, particularly when using certain technologies that may require skills that project staff or partners have not used or obtained before.

Lesson 3: Timing can enhance implementation success - organisers say that when they approached their other partners, they found they were also considering similar interventions, and the arrival of this project allowed them to channel their resources into this work.

Lesson 4: Building capacity to use the technology is key - a new technology innovation will only be useful if it is used. Organisers say that it is important to always remember that technologies are an enabler of education rather than solutions in themselves.