Kalangala Connect

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT  

The goal of the project is to bridge the digital divide in Bugala island (Kalangala District in the Central region of Uganda) through the installation of an under-water fiber optic cable and deployment of last-mile technologies such as fiber cables, long-range wireless antennas, and Internet access points in order to provide reliable and fast Internet connectivity for students, staff, researchers, health officers and eventually the entire district.  

Furthermore, the project helps to build the technical skills of the community’s ICT staff on how to build and maintain Local Area Networks (LANs) as well as how to use the Internet, thus ensuring their readiness to support Internet connectivity (devices) during disaster/emergency cases such as floods.  

In addition, the project also aims to roll out eduroam (Education Roaming), a roaming Wi-Fi Internet access service for customers in research, higher education, and further education that gives users network connectivity. This will be rolled out in combination with community wireless service to provide free Wi-Fi to the community in frequently visited areas like health centers, schools, and markets, among others.  

WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT?  

Bugala island is affected by natural disasters like floods, which lead to widespread diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, etc., which strain the island’s health facilities. Unstable and poor Internet connection is also a widespread problem on the island due to lack of connectivity and the Island district’s geographical location.   

Such problems affect essential service delivery, particularly in the education and health sectors. Improving Internet connectivity allows the advancement of education and health standards, thastening the island’s social and economic development. Students, staff, researchers, health officers, and eventually the entire district can collaborate easily with their peers locally, nationally, and internationally.