Power Solutions for Telecenters in Rwanda
Telecenter staff are trained to operate and ensure basic maintenance of the backup power equiment
Telecenter staff are trained to operate and ensure basic maintenance of the backup power equiment
Power outages remain a serious constraint for some telecenters operating in remote, grid-connected telecenters. In September 2004, a battery/inverter backup power solution designed for such environments was deployed in three Community Internet Centers (CICs) in Rwanda by Winrock International in collaboration with Kenya- based Energy for Sustainable Development Africa (ESDA).

The equipment installation was supplemented with essential training to ensure that local staff would be able to handle routine operation and maintenance of the backup power system.

The main objective of this activity was to allow the telecenters to achieve their revenue potential by being open even during power outages in the area. An unexpected advantage of this backup power solution has been that it is much more quiet than the alternative diesel generators. This quiet power system is being perceived by customers as more modern and high-tech, boosting the image of the CICs. This has attracted new customers.
Rwanda - ICTs for Elections and Community Access The dot-ORG ICTs for Elections and Community Access Project has two main activities: support to the National Electoral Commission on upgrading its voter registration database and the creation of three community internet centers.