Village Telco

Deployments

Bo-kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

One of the first pilot sites for Village Telco was the community of Bo-kaap in Cape Town.  We chose Bo-kaap partly because of proximity but more importantly because the Bo-kaap community is well known for the strength of the community ties that bind it together.  Village Telcos are most likely to thrive where people have already have strong reasons to communicate with each other locally.

Dili, East Timor

Thanks to an inspired collaboration between the Timorese NGO Fongtil and Mesh Potato designer, David Rowe, Dili became the first and most enduring Village Telcos.  Fongtil recently accepted an award for their Village Telco and have recently received further funding to support their work.

Piracanga, Bahia, Brazil

When Mike Jensen moved to an EcoVillage on the north-eastern coast of Brazil, he brought Village Telco with him.  He has since expanded access into the local town through a WiFi hotspot and cybercafe.