Global Research Alliance (GRA) is embarking on a project to improve Internet access in rural parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. This was disclosed at a board meeting of the GRA.

The international company is planning to support the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals in looking for an innovative way to improve Internet access in developing countries.
The GRA is made up of 60,000 researchers, scientists and engineers from nine applied research agencies around the world – including South Africa.

GRA’s Chief Operating Officer, Bart Follink, said the network is ready to collaborate on its activities with that of its members to generate impact. “The GRA has developed and matured over time. We are now able to put together big, complex projects to address problems in areas like food security, health, energy availability, clean water availability and Internet connectivity,” Follink told SciDev.
GRA members will be working in partnership with Macha Works on developing a sustainable infrastructure to provide Internet access in rural Africa.
Macha Works is currently working on a project to connect a rural community in Zambia to the Internet, thereby creating new education opportunities. It is known for modelling its strategies towards local empowerment. GRA however plans to use the inclusive innovation method – a model that involve participatory and knowledge based approach, which will suit the needs of low-income populations.
Former chief executive officer of Macha Works, Gertjan van Stam said, “Macha is a living laboratory of (inclusive innovation) and it is showing GRA how to implement it. I think the GRA is recognising a partner that is not the best in technology, but is certainly a role player on how to deal with local communities.”
He however blamed the present stage of low Internet penetration on the fact that technology built around the sub-Saharan Africa is modelled for the urban centres.