community i cafe
DESCRIPTION
Presentation for the Oil Gas Latin America ConferenceTRANSCRIPT
Collaboration.Innovation.
Sustainability.
Community iCafe: A Sustainable CSR Solution for Mining/Oil/Gas
Projects
SSG: Background
Founded in 2005 in Burlington, Vermont Provides advisory, training, assessment/evaluation
and field project management services Practice Areas: Tech at the Base of the Pyramid,
Corporate Social Responsibility, Public-Private Partnerships
Clients include mining/oil/gas firms, US government (USAID, State), multilaterals (IDB), foundations and NGOs.
Assignments completed in 30+ countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eurasia and Eastern Europe
CSR at the Community-Level: Challenges Industry under increasing
pressure to do more than just ‘charity’ - sustainability is key
Poorly designed CSR can result in a sense of dependency or entitlement from stakeholders.
Getting CSR right can be time-consuming - stand alone actions are also expensive
Effective CSR empowers stakeholders.
Effective CSR leverages both community and company resources.
Broadband connectivity has great value for companies and communities alike.
Demand for turnkey solutions
Why not leverage your investment in project site connectivity to improve the lives of stakeholders in
neighboring communities?
SSG Solution: Community iCafe
Connects the unconnected
Empowers communities
Promotes income generation
Leverages existing investment in connectivity
Base of the Pyramid (BoP) consumers value communications every bit as much as large
companies.
Community iCafe Uses Micro-franchising to
ensure quality and sustainability
Standard business model and replicate its processes and procedures
Franchisor provide training, procedures, processes, discounts and tech support, brand/marketing
Franchisee independently owned and operated Micro-franchising is an ideal business model for
Shared access centers/I-cafes in rural areas.
Sate Broadband Access Model
Project Site Sat.
Receiver/ RouterSatellite
Service Provider Uplink
Sub. Management
Internet Backbon
e
Project Site Sat.
Receiver/ Router
Project Site
Sat. Receiver/ Router
Sub. Management
Sub. Management
WiFi Access Point
WiFi Access Point
WiFi Access Point
Community iCafe: The Basic Architecture
Slide Courtesy of Global VSAT Forum
Community iCafe in Action: Easy Seva in Sri Lanka
4 low-cost PCs, 1-2 VOIP phones, printer/copier
Wireless broadband connectivity
Entrepreneur owned and operated
.37/hour for broadband Also offer mobile top-up,
photoshop, printing, etc. 55 iCafes serve 10,000+
customers/month Each owner nets between
$150-$250/month
All 55 Easy Seva Community iCafes are clean and affordable places where rural residents can access broadband services.
Community iCafe: Why is it sustainable?
Local franchisee takes a micro loan for PCs and Op Ex
Earns income by charging fees to customers for usage and services.
Pays connectivity fees Franchise fees to cover
business and IT training, tech support and servicesRather than create a sense of entitlement, why
not promote entrepreneurship? A Community iCafe is a micro-business that generates
income and provides new opportunities for stakeholders.
Community iCafe: Benefits
Broadband access is proven to raise incomes in remote communities
Provides educational and training opportunities A visible contribution to local stakeholders Franchise support increases success rate. A turn-key CSR Solution Can help meet PSA or Social Fund Requirements An opportunity to partner with government, donors,
carriers and communities.
Community iCafe: The Future Plans for 5-10,000 in
Vietnam in 2010-2013 Deployments in Southern
Africa, Middle East under consideration
New Partnership with CEDPA to use Community iCafe in the battle against HIV/AIDS
Use of Wifi to extend connectivity into schools, local government, clinics, etc.