BLUETOWN LOCAL CLOUD

Key Features

BLUETOWN LOCAL CLOUD provides easy access to digital content and services at no data cost to the end-users. The system works by letting digital content providers upload content to a central server, from where the content is distributed to local servers in the target locations. End-users access the local servers by accessing Wi-Fi internet hotspots in their communities to consume the content they wish – data free.

End-users benefit by getting easy access to information and knowledge, from health and learning to agriculture, entertainment, and local news, incurring no data cost for consuming the content and reassurance that their favorite content is always available at high-speed even if the internet connection is interrupted or has capacity issues.

For content partners, the LOCAL CLOUD removes barriers to reach rural populations in a quick and easy way, lowering transactions cost of activating content, reducing the necessity of physical presence in remote areas to broadcast campaigns, and provides intelligent content distribution to target groups with data statistics and analytics.

Social Impact

BLUETOWN operates in underserved communities that lack access to affordable internet. A significant share of potential users in these communities have limited ICT skills and lack information on the digital products and services that can be accessed using the internet, which ultimately limits their potential benefits from services.

Leveraging this digital divide in its target communities, BLUETOWN installs solar-powered connectivity infrastructure (i.e. Wi-Fi internet hotspots) and offers affordable data bundles priced at less than 2% of the average monthly income for each gigabyte. BLUETOWN upskills local retailers to become micro-operators by training them to build ICT capacity among their peers. This is achieved through informal trainings, which include analyzing and showcasing relevant local connectivity use cases. In addition to internet access, BLUETOWN makes local digital content and services available on its Local Cloud platform. The platform enables users to access digital content and services, such as eLearning courses, agricultural training videos, critical health information and selected ‘edutainment’ content.

BLUETOWN’s activities in these communities lead to higher adoption rates of connectivity services across demographics (i.e. across gender, educational level, profession, and age). This improves access to information, digital products and value-added-services within education, health, finance, agriculture, commercial activities, and government services. As BLUETOWN infrastructure is solar-powered, the communities avoid carbon emissions, and air pollution that would otherwise be emitted by diesel generators.

In the long run, BLUETOWN contributes to bridging digital divides and ultimately improve the standard of living in its target communities.

Future Plans

Since 2014, BLUETOWN has provided internet access to more than a million people in communities across Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Tanzania, and to four Indian states. The company has planned installations in Ghana, India, Nigeria, and Brazil that will cover more than 5 million people in 2023. Moreover, we are working to further improve our product in collaboration with the biggest technology companies in the world and to include more content providers to our LOCAL CLOUD and bring new digital services to our platform.

Main Target Group

Our customers are also our users, meaning they are inhabitants in low-income rural communities in the Global South. Our key partners for the LOCAL CLOUD are organizations with impactful content targeted at the same segments but want to expand their reach regarding content and/or digital services.

Main User

The users of our service are inhabitants of low-income communities in the Global South.

Price (in USD)

N/A