Ericsson's Elaine Weidman said: "Sites like this one have great potential for solving the African power-grid challenge of bringing mobile communication to those at the bottom of the economic pyramid so they can break the poverty cycle."
With mobile voice and data communication, Dertu's nomadic pastoral community of more than 5,000 people can now build on the economic and social gains it has made since a mobile network was installed in the village. Rather than making the 100km journey by dirt road to the larger city of Garissa, many people from nearby communities go to Dertu to make calls, access improved health services and take advantage of new businesses -- making the village an economic hub for the region.
More than 3,000 phone minutes are logged daily, with new markets springing up for SIM cards, second-hand phones, charging and accessories. Transport costs have also gone down thanks to mobile ordering and invoicing.
Residents use mobiles to find out about good pastures, which are often hard to come by in this arid region. Socially, families can be closer to distant relatives, and health care and remote education are now within reach. In case of an emergency water shortage, a mobile phone call brings help more quickly.
"The Dertu experience demonstrates that even people in the most remote parts of the world can be connected with a positive business case," saod Weidman, "the key to ongoing success will be combining innovative solutions, public-private partnerships and new business models."
Villages like Dertu, as part of the UN's Millennium Villages project, are exporting their successful interventions to neighboring villages, and the results are transforming Africa.
