{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/69480"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/69480","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Extending broadband past the urban fringe with wireless mesh : a strategic analysis with policy implications for Kenya's Universal Service Fund","abstract":"As the competitive wholesale cost of bandwidth continues to plummet in Kenya, last-mile networks have become a bottleneck in the extension of affordable broadband outside major cities. In this work we explore the business case for small-scale wireless mesh networks as a means to implement demand-driven, bottom-up growth of broadband infrastructure on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Under the hypothesis that current conditions are not attractive to small scale operators (SSO), we develop a continuous growth model to understand the investment required by a SSO before a small-scale network is able to grow sustainably. The model is then used to test the effects of a variety of policy interventions on the SSO's required investment. Our analysis reveals that the two primary barriers for SSOs are license fees and inability to access market prices for upstream inputs at prices competitive with large commercial operators. Based on these results we propose government support for a SSO cooperative as an efficient method of supporting small-scale wireless networks and their operators.","abstract_html":"As the competitive wholesale cost of bandwidth continues to plummet in Kenya, last-mile networks have become a bottleneck in the extension of affordable broadband outside major cities. In this work we explore the business case for small-scale wireless mesh networks as a means to implement demand-driven, bottom-up growth of broadband infrastructure on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Under the hypothesis that current conditions are not attractive to small scale operators (SSO), we develop a continuous growth model to understand the investment required by a SSO before a small-scale network is able to grow sustainably. The model is then used to test the effects of a variety of policy interventions on the SSO's required investment. Our analysis reveals that the two primary barriers for SSOs are license fees and inability to access market prices for upstream inputs at prices competitive with large commercial operators. Based on these results we propose government support for a SSO cooperative as an efficient method of supporting small-scale wireless networks and their operators.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Berkoben, Keith A. (Keith Alexander)"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Frank R. Field, IlIl."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011","date_published":"2011","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:16Z","subjects":["Engineering Systems Division.","Technology and Policy Program."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69480","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Frank R. Field, IlIl."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.","Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology and Policy Program."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology and Policy Program."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Berkoben, Keith A. (Keith Alexander)"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2012-02-29T17:58:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-02-29T17:58:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2011"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Engineering Systems Division.","Technology and Policy Program."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69480"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2011.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-119)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["As the competitive wholesale cost of bandwidth continues to plummet in Kenya, last-mile networks have become a bottleneck in the extension of affordable broadband outside major cities. In this work we explore the business case for small-scale wireless mesh networks as a means to implement demand-driven, bottom-up growth of broadband infrastructure on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Under the hypothesis that current conditions are not attractive to small scale operators (SSO), we develop a continuous growth model to understand the investment required by a SSO before a small-scale network is able to grow sustainably. The model is then used to test the effects of a variety of policy interventions on the SSO's required investment. Our analysis reveals that the two primary barriers for SSOs are license fees and inability to access market prices for upstream inputs at prices competitive with large commercial operators. Based on these results we propose government support for a SSO cooperative as an efficient method of supporting small-scale wireless networks and their operators."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M.in Technology and Policy"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Extending broadband past the urban fringe with wireless mesh : a strategic analysis with policy implications for Kenya's Universal Service Fund"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Frank R. Field, IlIl."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.","Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology and Policy Program."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology and Policy Program."],"dc:creator":["Berkoben, Keith A. (Keith Alexander)"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2012-02-29T17:58:25Z"],"dc:date.available":["2012-02-29T17:58:25Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2011"],"dc:description":["Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2011.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-119)."],"dc:description.abstract":["As the competitive wholesale cost of bandwidth continues to plummet in Kenya, last-mile networks have become a bottleneck in the extension of affordable broadband outside major cities. In this work we explore the business case for small-scale wireless mesh networks as a means to implement demand-driven, bottom-up growth of broadband infrastructure on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Under the hypothesis that current conditions are not attractive to small scale operators (SSO), we develop a continuous growth model to understand the investment required by a SSO before a small-scale network is able to grow sustainably. The model is then used to test the effects of a variety of policy interventions on the SSO's required investment. Our analysis reveals that the two primary barriers for SSOs are license fees and inability to access market prices for upstream inputs at prices competitive with large commercial operators. Based on these results we propose government support for a SSO cooperative as an efficient method of supporting small-scale wireless networks and their operators."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M.in Technology and Policy"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69480"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Engineering Systems Division.","Technology and Policy Program."],"dc:title":["Extending broadband past the urban fringe with wireless mesh : a strategic analysis with policy implications for Kenya's Universal Service Fund"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:16Z"}