Maintaining cabled infrastructure in many informal areas is a nightmare (costly to deploy, dangerous, and sometimes damaged/stolen) so a meshed network does really solve this type of challenge, where each core node relays off the next one, to cover a wide area. In the example given in the linked article, a third of a township that’s home to an estimated 80 000 people is served.
Combining this with a commercial model where the core node hoster is earning 15% of the monthly cost from the surrounding leaf nodes, it is a real win-win.
It’s no coincidence, either, that this type of meshed network is proving popular, as we have seen active decentralisation along identical lines with social media, and also with the Meshtastic unlicensed radio that I featured a week or two back.
This type of approach is perfect where a high-cost service can be shared in a cost-effective way across a community who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford such a service on their own.
See https://techcentral.co.za/internet-revolution-in-olievenhoutbosch/241698/