UBEDX

Low and middle income communities are without internet access and on top of that parents are not equipped to assist primary age children with homework assignments despite having access to internet-enabled devices. UBEDX fills this gap by creating a virtual hub for providing one-on-one assistance with homework and other learning activities while providing frictionless digital jobs so parents can supplement their income.

Solving the problem of the last mile and digital divide.

The solution is a hybrid wireless mesh network which connects students to one-on-one facilitators and provides parents with gig based mobile jobs  to supplement their income. 

This solution serves low connectivity communities and low income parents. I am them so I talk to them daily to find out what sorts of solutions can solve our problems. 

Structured surveys have also been done which show that 95% of respondents have a smart-phone or internet enabled device. 60% of respondents in the target group found that have tried to access online jobs before. Of the respondents who tried to access online jobs before, 76% of respondents thought they were underqualified for available jobs and so did not apply. 

Of the respondents who are parents, 80% found that they were personally unable to assist their children with school work because they didnt understand the work and would opt to pay an instructor to do same but the price point is often out of reach. 

When asked if they would pay to access a wifi-like platform to get assistance from people in the local community to assist their child parents were prepared to spend between $1000-$3000 per month. 10% of the respondents cared that the wifi-like network did not have access to the worldwide web. Solution addresses the concerns of homework gap investigated in survey.  

Lack of access in the target population is a result of poor economics. This solution targets the nonconsumers of digital learning while offering avenues for parents and community members to be drawn into this ecosystem and participate as producers. Robustness of the WMN also allows for local craftsmen to advertise their businesses and solicit their services.

The solution is not innovative, just its application.

 UBEDX is powered by a wireless mesh network on the 5G frequency. The WMN has a hybrid infrastructure combining software and hardware. Community members may download a mobile app to access the UBEDX network and routing/wireless hardware is setup at strategic points throughout the community to boost connectivity. Once connected to the UBEDX network members can choose to go to access the world wide web or remain on their local intranet through peer to peer connections. This allows both smart and non-smartphones to connect and also gives a low cost alternative to internet access which serves the purpose of accessing information.

150 persons are served now. 

In one year 50,000

20,000,000

Build out Jamaica

Expand to Guyana

Bring in more resources into the network. 

Financial barriers with funding to roll out

Technical is finding expertise to build out solution more

Get grants get paid, make an impact

Train in house for the expertise. and build internal capacity

Full time two persons

Part time two persons

Consultant one

Our team is well positioned to deliver this solution because we have a diverse mix of expertise in community development for Small Island Developing States, education technology in Jamaica as well as expertise in networking infrastructure specific to mesh network systems in rugged terrain.

We are currently working with OAS, Citibank and MICO College University which does teacher training in digital skills.

Our business model is pay to play and appended with a two-sided marketplace for service delivery and consumption.

Financial Stability is predicated on integration of distribution purchase points in the local business community; making use of corner shops, bars and other informal establishments which conduct business in the community. Our B2C insfractuture is our greatest source of cash flow as we have a market discounted service with a broad customer base. 

We are applying to Solve because of its vast network in the technology and social impact space. As a marketing creating enterprise, SOLVE most aligns with the understanding of the nonconsumption market which is being targeted by UBEDX. 

Most of our support is needed in the area of technology development to better understand how to make our systems more robust and better able to serve a wider geography.

BRCK and Juliana Rotich who has worked with similar connectivity issues in Kenya. 

Looking to have use a similar insfrastructure to BRCK to build out local access routing points with low energy consumption and high rich.