There there might yet be some confusion about white spaces spectrum as a new way to provide Internet access using unlicensed spectrum, the approach remains of high interest to application providers and device suppliers, if generally opposed by established mobile service providers, for obvious reasons.The Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative hopes, by 2016, to have placed tens of millions of smart devices in the hands of African youth, put a million small and medium businesses online, and have helped 200 000 Africans develop skills for entrepreneurship and work, says Ali Faramawy, corporate VP, Microsoft Middle East & Africa.
The project plans to train 100,000 members of the existing workforce and 100,000 recent graduates, 75 percent of whom the project intends to help place in jobs.
You can watch a video about the project, which features satellite services provider
Indigo Telecom, which will be providing the Internet access.
Using solar-powered base stations together with TV white spaces, the project will deliver high-speed Internet access to areas currently lacking even basic electricity.
Microsoft says it will launch similar pilot projects in East and Southern Africa to further explore the commercial feasibility of white space technologies.
These pilots will be used to encourage other African countries to accelerate legislation that would enable white spaces technology.
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