Impact Assessment Of Topography On Infrastructure Development And Mobile Communication Service Delivery: Case Study Of Kunenekude In Neno

Abstract

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is crucial for sustainable infrastructure development and plays a key role in the socio-economic development and overall poverty reduction. Among the technological advances of the last 50 years, the expansion and technological improvements of telecommunications infrastructure have been some of the most crucial interventions in the society. The introduction of mobile communications especially the global system for mobile (GSM) communication technology provided a huge landmark for personal communications. However, the deployment of infrastructure to provide such communications services is faced by several challenges among them the topography of areas where such infrastructure must be deployed which impacts efficient service delivery. The main objective of this thesis is to assess the impact of topography on infrastructure and mobile communication service delivery with a particular focus on Kunenekude. The thesis examines the relationship between topography and mobile communication service coverage by using the telecommunications management system (TEMS) investigation analytical tool in relation to the socio-economic impact arising out of the limited service delivery. The assessment shows that topography reduces effective service coverage and impacts mobile service delivery by almost 40% thereby increasing the costs of providing the service. Additionally, the socio-economic benefits arising from mobile communication services are affected when service coverage is limited. This study through the findings recommends a coordinated infrastructure sharing deployment plan to address the topography challenges in infrastructure development and the use of household settlement statistical data to effectively plan coverage for mobile communication services