Abstract-Rural areas of the developing countries lack Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructures such as access network, also known as last mile connectivity, to deliver ICT services. The lack of connectivity is due to high cost of implementing ICT infrastructures. Wireless technologies are envisioned as candidates for rural connectivity. They are not only easier and faster to deploy but also cheaper than the wired technologies. This paper presents a technoeconomic analysis of two wireless technologies in Tanzania, called third generation (3G) implemented at 900MHz and at 2100MHz frequency bands. Objectives of techno-economic analysis are to investigate economic feasibility and to determine a cost effective option between the two connectivity options. Results show that, 3G at 900HMz is a feasible and cost -effective connectivity technology in Tanzania. These results can be generalized to other developing countries, since rural areas pose similar characteristics with regard to ICT infrastructure development.

It has been well known since the 1960s that developing countries need to improve their capacity to use science and technology and that more efforts must be put into R&D that would benefit poor countries and people. Serious efforts to accomplish this exist but they are still too few and small in relation to the size of the problem. Whilst the supply of knowledge and competent people slowly has been growing, there is still a continued lack of demand for domestic knowledge. Foreign consultants dominate knowledge supply to government, industry and aid donors. Small firms and farms are not used to articulate their demand for knowledge. Such weak demand and timid articulation are typical signs of emerging innovations systems. Despite this, there are signs of a fragmented domestic creative potential that could be mobilised to increase innovation for inclusive development. In this article, practical experiences in Uganda and Tanzania illuminate possibilities to articulate and address the knowledge demand from firms and farms through cluster formation. In this type of cluster formations, universities have key roles as knowledge providers and as intermediaries that assist in building the ties and linkages necessary to move the innovation system to a higher state.

Poultry farms in Tanzania are characterized by inadequate management practices which are mainly caused by the lack of adequate systems to guide the small-scale poultry farmers in decision making. It is well-established that information is a key factor in making effective decisions in numerous sectors including poultry farming. Furthermore, various researchers have identified the use of mobile decision support tools to be an effective way of aiding farmers in making informed decisions. In this paper, we present a mobile-based decision support system that will aid rural and small-scale poultry farmers in Tanzania to obtain reliable information that is crucial for making proper decisions in their farming activities. In this context, a mobile-based decision support system was achieved through a mobile application integrated with a chatbot assistant to provide a solution to various poultry farming-related problems and simplify their decision-making process. We used a data-driven approach towards developing an informational chatbot assistant for Android smartphones that is capable of interacting with small-scale poultry farmers through natural conversations by utilizing the RASA framework.

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Information and communication technology (ICT) has become a mantra for economic development at the global and local levels. The hopes concern the potential of ICT to solve economic and social problems such as inadequate resources, unemployment, centralization, marginalization of women, and social inequalities. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the digital divide will be a significant feature of political dialogue in the near future, especially because of the uneven spread of the benefits of ICTs.This article deals with ICT discourses and practices in the areas of encounter between rich and poor cquntries. The digital divide, which may consist of divides between individuals, groups of women and men, and between nations, is now frequently cited as a pivotal factor in the growing economic divide. This leads us to wonder—who is catching up and for what?