Photo journey on the first step of the fibre fellowship in Kenya

The workshop gathered participants from a diversity of community networks from across Kenya who shared their connectivity journeys, experiences, plans and expectations.

On the first day of the workshop, the participants enjoyed a virtual presentation by Steve Song, policy advisor at Mozilla Corporation, and Ramon Roca, president of guifi.net, who provided an in-depth look at existing community-owned fibre networks, analysing their ownership models, funding and sustainability mechanisms, and organisational structures. 

Song and Roca’s presentations shed light on the challenges faced by community-owned fibre networks, like shortage of technical expertise, high upfront costs for equipment and deployment, and competition from commercial telecom operators.

The community networks that sent representatives to the workshop are Tanda Community Network, Kijiji Yetu Community Network, Dunia Moja Community Network, Aheri Basic Internet Limited (AHERINet), Alinet, Oasis Mathare, Global Innovation Valley (GIV), Athi Community Network CBO, Siaya Library Community Network, Nyatike Community Network, Raha Internet and Tech Village Community Network.

Representatives of the community networks held rich discussions on how to deploy and utilise the technology as well as reflecting on the multi-layered connectivity challenges that community networks face.

The first three days of the workshop focused on fostering in-depth knowledge and understanding of how fibre works, the types available, the right cable for different buildings and environments, and so on, observing step-by-step procedures and safety measures. 

Implementation of fibre technology at the grassroots level by community networks depends on practical understanding of the technology, right from site survey to cable preparation to splicing to monitoring and maintenance.

The fellows learned fibre optic cable preparation, which includes denuding, cleaving and splicing of fibre cables.

The peer-to-peer learning exchanges enriched the fellowship. 

The course instructors introduced types of fibre, their advantages, and applications of fibre technology apart from internet connectivity, such as utility network management, sensors and control systems.

1. The hands-on sessions provided participants with a valuable opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the actual dealings of fibre optic technology.

The fellowship promoted of women’s participation and gender equity in upskilling them in tech roles, to bridge the gender gaps that still exist in technological environments.

“As a woman in this field, I’m driven to deepen my knowledge, apply it in practice, and share it with others. I’m excited about how community networks will benefit from this: learning how to plan, design and execute projects tailored to each of our unique environments around the country,” said Ruth Njeri, a fellow from Tanda Network.

From the community networks’ perspective, the training helped establish that fibre optics technology is a crucial pillar in achieving last-mile connectivity.

The course instructor said that fibre is the nervous system of the world, looking at the critical role that technology plays in global communication, data transmission, and providing the infrastructure that powers the modern internet.

Josephine Miliza, the Africa policy coordinator at APC, urged the technicians to observe safety measures while deploying fibre optic networks to curb casualties; observe compliance with relevant authorities to avoid regulatory actions; and be keen on choosing their preferred technology – wireless, fibre or hybrid – with an emphasis on considerations of sustainability and knowledge investment.

At the end of the week-long fellowship on fibre optic infrastructure, the workshop equipped the 15 representatives of community networks across Kenya with vital knowledge and skills to enable them to extend internet connectivity to this last mile.

After finishing this intense workshop, 15 fellows completed the first phase of the fellowship, with a test and field experience from the Fiber Optic Association (FOA), an evaluation of comprehension and mastery of the concepts covered during the training period.

The fellows received their Certified Fibre Optic Technician (CFOT) diplomas. “It is a timely effort to upskill the community networks with the necessary skills, knowledge and certification to work with fibre optic technology as a complement to wireless technology that already exists in their communities, to ensure quality and meaningful connectivity for the underserved and unserved areas,” said Risper Arose, coordinator of the workshop from Tanda Network.