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The problem of building communication networks in Africa is complicated by shifting demographic and climate patterns. At the end of 2011, an estimated 65% of the African population had cell phones, but only 13% had Internet access. Despite extreme poverty, smartphone usage is growing at a surprising rate in Africa. In fact, many people depend on smartphones to survive, i.e. using them to quickly locate food markets rather than travel for days in the wrong direction. Many African tribes are nomadic, often crossing country borders in search of water and other resources. However, because cellphone networks differ by country, it is common for one person to carry multiple phones to avoid roaming charges. One inexpensive solution to this problem is VoIP, which requires only an Internet connection and would thus eliminate the need for multiple phones. However, as previously mentioned, WiFi coverage in Africa is sparse. The Inmarsat satellites scheduled to launch in 2013-14 will provide coverage over Africa, but the Ka-band frequencies they will use are disrupted by rain. Because nomadic Communication failures often lead to tribal conflict, which will be a problem especially because tribes tend to follow rainfall, conflicts often arise when mobile communication fails.
Boingo, a global market leader in WiFi, is seeking to expand into Africa to allow more of the population to use VoIP as a primary means of communication. Because it requires only an Internet connection, VoIP is a cheaper option, and would eliminate the need for one person to have multiple cell phones. To improve their coverage, Boingo needs to find the most optimal locations to build WiFi towers by analyzing demographic and weather data. We will design a user interface for data visualization with Boingo's problem in mind.
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