While the wires, towers and solar panels of community-centred connectivity initiatives (CCCIs) provide the “how”, it is the local services that provide the “why” when it comes to being connected, moving the dial from simple access to meaningful connectivity. New insights have emerged from a local services workshop held during the face-to-face bootcamp of the Blended Training Programme for ICT Network Managers in Indigenous and Rural Communities. The event gathered representatives from CCCIs in Indigenous and rural communities across Africa to build capacity directly in the territories where connectivity is most needed.
During the session in Nairobi, CCCIs revealed a growing interest in shifting away from global platforms toward a local-first digital ecosystem – one that prioritises a community’s specific economic, cultural and social needs. During the workshop, participants had an opportunity to build a “must-have” list and a “nice-to-have” list of local services that would add extra layers of meaning to their communities currently relying on basic connectivity. Here is what they shared.
The must-have services: Essentials for daily life
At the Nairobi bootcamp, participants defined a successful local service as one that solves immediate, real-world problems. These core services act as the digital utility room for the community:
- Sovereign communications and security: While global platforms are common, there is a growing movement toward decentralised tools to ensure communication remains intact even if the upstream internet fails. This is supported by a strong focus on digital security and advocacy for digital and human rights.
- Localised finance and commerce: A functional network requires a payment and billing system that accommodates local realities, such as mobile money and cash-to-mobile conversions. Financial services for areas outside mobile coverage will also be needed. These will also enable trading using digital resources and broader e-commerce opportunities.
- Civic and other essential services: The network acts as a bridge to leadership through e-government services, resident complaint platforms and announcements. It would also host critical e-health services, including medical referrals and health education.
- Knowledge and identity: A primary must-have is the creation of an Indigenous knowledge data source which can power local AI agents and preserve local history, including oral information and cultural preservation content. This will build a sense of common ownership over the community’s digital heritage and ensures accessibility and affordability by hosting local and offline content.
The wish list: A vision for deep impact
Looking toward the future, the bootcamp participants also mapped out an ambitious wish list of “nice-to-have” services designed to ensure long-term sustainability, digital inclusion and legal compliance:
- Educational evolution: Communities aspire to host school management platforms such as learning management systems and student management systems. These would feature multimedia learning materials with offline support, including distribution via USB drives for those without direct connectivity and certification of courses to provide tangible value to learners.
- Health and institutional support: Beyond basic connectivity, there is a desire for direct health centre presence on the network to facilitate referrals and a collaborative model where schools provide premises for equipment.
- The creative and digital economy: The wish list includes incentives for content creators to earn from local services and collaboration with community radios to amplify local voices. This vision is supported by the need for accessible gadgets (like smartphones) to ensure everyone can participate in the digital economy.
Advanced agriculture: Future growth involves internet of things (IoT) devices for agriculture and environmental monitoring, such as soil monitoring, and platforms to help with the branding of farm products to increase their market value.
The workshop on local services held during the face-to-face bootcamp in Nairobi was facilitated by Rebecca Ryakitimbo and Mike Jensen from LocNet.
Turning vision into reality: Required resources
In deploying local services and bridging the gap between essential requirements and secondary goals, the bootcamp participants outlined a framework to build and maintain a sustainable ecosystem. To ensure long-term viability and operational integrity, a robust model integrating financial, strategic and legal components is critical.
Sustainability will be secured by leveraging startup capital alongside community contributions, with ongoing operational expenses managed through diversified revenue streams such as subscription fees, training programmes, and ancillary services like printing and scanning. Parallel to these financial efforts, the CCCIs’ local services foundation must be built on thorough feasibility and needs-analysis studies, supported by a governance structure that actively engages traditional leaders and community stakeholders. Furthermore, strict legal compliance remains a priority, requiring the acquisition of all necessary telecom, business and content licences, as well as formal registration certification to solidify the model of collective ownership.
The technical foundation of this relies on both software and physical infrastructure that are tailored to the local environment. Essential hardware requirements include towers, servers, user devices like smartphones and tablets, and dedicated content management platforms. Because stability is paramount, the framework mandates reliable internet backhaul coupled with robust power solutions, such as stable grid connections paired with solar energy.
Additionally, prioritising data sovereignty is crucial; this requires localised data storage that remains functional offline, all while being protected by stringent privacy and security measures. Finally, the physical infrastructure must provide not only space for equipment but also dedicated human hubs designed to foster training and collaboration.
Beyond technical needs, local services are anchored in human and social capital. There needs to be an understanding of the dynamics and demographics of the community, ensuring that technical support is delivered through a gender-sensitive lens to guarantee true inclusion. This human-centric approach extends to a structured training ecosystem, which focuses on establishing train-the-trainer programmes to transfer technical capacity. Ultimately, authentic community buy-in, long-term sustainability and the protection of Indigenous knowledge rights depend on the support provided and the sustained goodwill of the local population.
The consensus is clear: CCCIs are not a passive pipeline for data, but an active engine for community empowerment. By aligning physical hardware with human capacity and localised services, these networks can be transformed from simple internet providers into the digital heart of their communities.
Rebecca Ryakitimbo is a feminist technologist and researcher working at the intersection of AI, gender justice and digital equity. She supports feminist tech spaces such as the African Women School of AI, and curates the Gendering AI conference. As part of the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative, she supports community-centred connectivity initiatives by facilitating communities of practice and researching community-centred connectivity and local services for equitable, locally led digital ecosystems.
Mike Jensen works in the technology adoption team at the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative which is a collective effort led by APC and Rhizomatica in partnership with grassroots communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, with financial support from Swedish Sida and the UK FCDO.