What Works: First Mile Solutions' DakNet Takes Rural Communities Online, the latest of WRI's What Works case study series, is being released today. The full-length business case study, written by two Harvard University graduate students under WRI supervision, highlights how the innovative DakNet technology is being rolled out to the benefit of rural Cambodia.

Telecommunication companies are usually reluctant to extend their network due to high infrastructure costs, low population density, and limited ability to pay for the services. First Mile Solutions (FMS) counters this problem by providing telecommunications equipment that can cheaply connect rural and remote populations to the Internet through an innovative technology: DakNet. DakNet leverages short- range wireless technology in tandem with traditional telecommunication and physical transportation infrastructures. Local transportation - e.g., public buses, motorcycles, and supply trucks - facilitates data exchanges between rural villages and Internet hubs. This unconventional communication network provides end users with asynchronous access to e- mail, voice messages, and Internet browsing.

Full-length and executive summary versions of the case study are available, along with other business case studies, at the NextBillion.net case study library.