Mozambican Tech Startup Delivers Portable Internet to Rural Areas

Even though Mozambique is ranked as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, much of its population still lacks access to the Internet, especially in rural areas.

With only 7.1 percent of Mozambique’s population connected to the Internet, the South African nation still faces huge challenges in developing the appropriate information and computer technology infrastructure to connect its spread-out population.

Consequently, Mozambican tech startup Kamaleon has introduced a new project dubbed “The Community Tablet,” which is delivering portable Internet to remote parts of the country.

The Community Tablet is a one-of-a-kind innovative concept expected to play a huge role in addressing the problem of Internet access in the rural parts of Mozambique and Africa.

Speaking to Face2Face Africa, Kamaleon founder Dayn Amade said the company hopes to reach a minimum of 4 million people in the next year with this project.

“I wanted to create a technology platform that facilitates Internet access and also supports social development in Africa. Since most Internet providers focus mainly on big cities, I found a way to roll out Internet access to rural communities,” Amade says.

How Does It Work?

Kamaleon, a company specializing in interactive technology for entertainment and marketing purposes, introduced the Community Tablet in November in order to reach out to local public facilities, such as schools and hospitals.

The technology involves fitting big touchscreen tablets in a traveling truck unit and shipping them to remote parts of the country, where they serve as a communal, shared computer hub.

Since most rural areas in Mozambique do not have electricity, Kamaleon has invested in solar panels to power the tablets. It has also integrated a refrigeration system to cool down the equipment when traveling in hot weather conditions, and each tablet’s screen comes with a waterproof cover to protect it in extreme weather conditions.

Best Channel of Public Communication

The Community Tablet aims to promote digital inclusion by providing easy and free Internet access to more than 90 percent of Mozambique’s population, especially in the rural areas.

The project also offers training to local communities in Mozambique on how to use the Internet and its features.

“The Community Tablet will be used to support campaigns on various health and education topics next year in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations. More importantly, the Community Tablet will be used to gather data on behalf of these agencies, enabling them to make more informed decisions regarding public service information in the future,” Amade reveals.

Ultimately, Amade hopes to use the project as a virtual library for local students and other members of the community and plans to expand the project to other African countries, where rural populations are still struggling to access the Internet.