Short Description: Connecting 460 schools -- and a number of other local institutions -- to the Internet to supplement e-schools project.
Phase/Type of Activity: Signed Award Status: Completed
Start date: October 01, 2004 End Date: December 31, 2007
Partners:On.Net
Person(s) to contact
Contact
Michael Tetelman , Director, dot-ORG
Academy for Educational Development Email: Tel: (202) 884-8856
Full Description: The main objective of the project was to provide low-cost and sustainable broadband access to 460 secondary and elementary schools dispersed throughout the country. A secondary objective was to spread broadband Internet access to rural populations with emphasis on small business enterprises, local governments, and consumer market with an eye toward increasing Internet use beyond the 4% penetration level at the beginning of the project in 2004.
A survey undertaken in April 2007 showed the following:
Overall computer use was 47%
Overall Internet use was 32%
40% households had a computer
17% of households were connected to the Internet
52% of current Internet users started using the Internet over the last 2 years (2005-2007)
the largest number of new users were youth.
Leveraging private sector investment, dot-ORG helped create the world's first national wireless broadband network. The MK Connects project officially ended on December 31, 2007. In November 2007, MK Connects was named a finalist of the third annual W2i Wireless Communities Best Practices Award.
The project's success has been extensively covered in the media. For details of media coverage, see the Stories page on the MK Connects project's website.
Development Sector(s): Information Technology, Microenterprise Development, Technology Transfer, Basic Education, Higher Education
BBC Program: http://http://www.bbcworld.com/content/clickonline_archive_45_2005.asp?pageid=666&co_pageid=2
On November 10, 2005, Macedonia Connects was featured on the BBC program Click on Line. BBC journalist David Reid presented Macedonia as one of the first countries in the world with national wireless internet access. Click on the link above to read and/or view the story on the web.
Project Brief - Macedonia Connects
This project brief was initially developed for WSIS 2005. It provides an overview of the project and identifies lessons learned.
Core funding for the DOT-COM Alliance is provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture & Trade, Office of Infrastructure and Engineering (EGAT/OI&E), Office of Education (EGAT/ED), and Office of Women in Development (EGAT/WID), under the terms of Award numbers: GDG-A-00-01-00009-00, dot-GOV; GDG-A-00-01-00014-00, dot-ORG; GDG-A-00-01-00011-00, dot-EDU.