The Internet has come to represent societal-interconnection, co-creation, knowledge sharing, a gateway to new markets and ultimately a new economy. It has the same impact on society as the railway, post office and telecommunications networks of days long gone by; such that those not connected are left behind in what is now termed the knowledge economy.

Take South Africa for instance; it has approximately 26500 primary and secondary schools, of which at least 17000 are in remote rural villages. None of these rural schools have any form of Internet connectivity, the paper states. The same rural villages may have one health facility for every 20 schools and very few other public or community service centres.

Using wireless mesh networks, the CSIR has conjured an innovative way of delivering broadband to rural communities in South Africa with partnership potential for social entrepreneurs.