Banikoara Community Multi-Media Centre Connected!
12-08-2004 (Accra)
11 August, Banikoara, Northern Benin: Banikoara CMC has commissioned its first ever VSAT Internet connection making it possible for 253,000 residents of Banikoara to take immediate advantage of easy and uninterrupted access to the Internet. Banikoara Town is situated 243km from the nearest access to Internet services in Parakou and more than 743km from the capital city, Cotonou.
The VSAT connection provides a tremendous capacity to access, download and upload information on the Internet with very little, if any, waiting time or delay. The initial 18 month subscription provides Banikoara CMC with a 16 kbps uplink and 64kbps downlink and a proxy server to be used with the VSAT link and local area network. The VSAT connection also facilitates proper management of the CMCs local network, which currently runs on 15 personal computers.
Since 1994, when it was first established as a community radio studio, Banikoara CMC has managed to install a computer component to upgrade its function into a full CMC. The CMC has been steadily growing ever since and now has 2 semi-professional radio studios; 15 PCs; and an autonomous 24h electricity generator which is driven by an adapted maize mill.
The maize mill electricity generator is assembled locally at a cost of around US $2000. A smaller version of the main 20kVA generator, which could feed two residential houses with full-time electricity power, provides standby power at 10 kVA. This power is used to run the radio studios, photocopiers, PCs, a scanner, a satellite TV and radio receiver as well as office equipment and now a VSAT link. It provides an essential service especially considering that the Municipal electricity supply is not available during daytime hours. This is a model that could be replicated easily in other parts of Africa.
Banikoara CMC manages a healthy revenue and has now reached an important benchmark as the first and only setup to respond to the high demand for Internet connectivity. This demand is made by the NGO community, educational and other institutions as well as general public at large.
Internet services have been awaited for a long time at the center and will facilitate the introduction of Internet-assisted radio programme production and e-learning initiatives. Radio-browsing for community radio and teacher training programmes are expected to generate training modules inspired by free educational resources on the Internet.
Banikoara CMC is supported by UNESCO and the Swiss government.
Since 1994, when it was first established as a community radio studio, Banikoara CMC has managed to install a computer component to upgrade its function into a full CMC. The CMC has been steadily growing ever since and now has 2 semi-professional radio studios; 15 PCs; and an autonomous 24h electricity generator which is driven by an adapted maize mill.
The maize mill electricity generator is assembled locally at a cost of around US $2000. A smaller version of the main 20kVA generator, which could feed two residential houses with full-time electricity power, provides standby power at 10 kVA. This power is used to run the radio studios, photocopiers, PCs, a scanner, a satellite TV and radio receiver as well as office equipment and now a VSAT link. It provides an essential service especially considering that the Municipal electricity supply is not available during daytime hours. This is a model that could be replicated easily in other parts of Africa.
Banikoara CMC manages a healthy revenue and has now reached an important benchmark as the first and only setup to respond to the high demand for Internet connectivity. This demand is made by the NGO community, educational and other institutions as well as general public at large.
Internet services have been awaited for a long time at the center and will facilitate the introduction of Internet-assisted radio programme production and e-learning initiatives. Radio-browsing for community radio and teacher training programmes are expected to generate training modules inspired by free educational resources on the Internet.
Banikoara CMC is supported by UNESCO and the Swiss government.
Related themes/countries
· News Archives - 2004
· Benin: News Archive
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Contact
- Stella Hughes, Communication Development Division, Chief, Media and Society Section
- Hezekiel Dlamini, Adviser for Communication and Information, UNESCO Cluster Office in Accra
- UNESCO Accra
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