The Community Wireless Resource Centre (CWRC) is an initiative established under the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Initially funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the primary objective of the CWRC is to provide or enhance sustainable Internet connectivity infrastructure, particularly in rural or underserved areas in Uganda, by means of wireless technology.
The CWRC seeks to implement and support community wireless networks, train students and technical staff so as to build capacity in design, installation and maintenance of wireless networks, undertake research in the area of community wireless networks, and document and share results widely. The CWRC contributes to capacity building in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering through research and through industrial training opportunities.
Each year, the CWRC offers up to four positions for industrial training during which period students are taken through the theoretical concepts related to wireless networks and have hands-on training at the CWRC office and associated telecentres. The CWRC also takes on fourth year students doing research projects in areas of concern in the areas of community wireless networks such as bandwidth management, traffic shaping, and propagation. CWRC research and training activities are currently supported by the Millennium Science Initiative (MSI) under the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the World Bank as well as the Wireless Africa Initiative. Presidential Initiative: Impact Assessment of Public Access to ICTs Under the Presidential Initiative the CWRC is attempting to study the impact of public access to ICTs through the telecentres and community wireless networks it supports. This research is being pursued in partnership with Kabale University which is bringing socio-economic expertise to the project. Currently the composite team has been developing research tools for the program and will be taking these tools in the field in January.
Objectives
To build a link and establish contact with the local communities, the private sector, Government and other stakeholders such as NGOs and the donor community, as a means of disseminating research findings with the view of impacting on the implementation of public access to ICTs.
