Big Box

Around the world, and most notably in the least developed countries, many schools have no internet access. The internet is an enabler for the advancement and transformation of education and it has the power to vastly speed up progress to SDG 4 (UNESCO 2024). Technology use can enable access to the curriculum and accelerate learning outcomes. Building digital skills strengthens future job prospects and helps to advance economies. The internet opens opportunities and expands horizons. It brings a world of knowledge and information to the heart of a school, inspiring young minds and enhancing their learning environment and experience, but connectivity remains a barrier. 

Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2023 showed that although 67% of the global population were internet users, deep disparities remain. 92.4% of citizens in high-income countries use the internet, whereas just 36.1% of those in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are connected.

The connectivity challenge in education is significant. Globally 2.8 million schools are not connected to the internet (Shaping a Just Digital Transformation, OECD, 2021), encompassing two thirds of the world’s school age children, 1.3 billion children and young people aged 3-17 years. Only 40% of primary, 50% of lower secondary and 65% of upper secondary schools are connected to the internet. Even where schools have connectivity, in the least developed countries it is often either unaffordable or of poor quality. 

The digital divide is compounding and increasing  inequalities in education. Most of the world’s school-aged children do not have internet connection in their homes, it is vital that they can access connection at school. Without quality education, children face considerable barriers to employment later in life. They are more likely to suffer adverse health outcomes and less likely to participate in decisions that affect them – threatening their ability to shape a better future for themselves and their societies (Unicef, 2024).

Inadequate education materials and poor infrastructure makes learning difficult. Many schools have computers but no internet connection. We found that there was no affordable, accessible, safe Wi-Fi connectivity solution offering simple, plug and play Wi-Fi in challenging contexts. All other solutions could only connect very small numbers of users, needed on-the-ground high level technical expertise or needed a very specific type of power which in many locations was simply not possible. 

Our solution, Big Box, enables schools to build expansive networks to access digital resources, empowering students and teachers. And it really works, to date the majority of our 100+ Big Box pilots have connected learning hubs, schools and education spaces. 

Gadra General Middle School Headteacher Shambhu Sharan, who has been part of our pilot,  explains succinctly the possibilities arising from access to the internet: "The children won't have to wait to be taught the things they want to know, they'll be able to reach out around the world and grab them."  We want to make that possible for all children.

Introducing Big Box

From its friendly, purple, rucksack-sized exterior, Big Box provides internet access in diverse and challenging environments. Its robustness, combined with cutting-edge technology, enables it to deliver reliable and easy to deploy connectivity to places where it’s critically needed, including schools, colleges, and emergency or ad-hoc educational spaces.

Big Box connects to a wide variety of internet sources. Two built-in GSM modems support mobile networks ranging from 5G (able to support thousands of users) to 2G (which can still provide important telemetry). It can combine up to 32 different sources of backhaul - including satellite, fixed-line, SIM, two in-built eSIMs and fibre connections - able to leverage a multiplicity of available networks for optimal internet access.

Additionally Big Box contains a powerful CPU that manages and prioritises internet traffic efficiently, ensuring smooth online experiences for users and data-usage efficiency. It supports traffic shaping and access control, allowing for the distribution of internet resources fairly among users and enabling safe browsing environments, particularly important in educational settings.

Wide-reaching and high-quality Wi-Fi are a key feature of Big Box, its integrated Wi-Fi 6 can connect up to 250 devices simultaneously. Additional ports support the expansion of the network by powering more Wi-Fi access points or through wired ethernet and fibre connections, making it adaptable to the needs of large areas or buildings.

Big Box V1 is designed to operate on very low power (around 10W) for low intensity usage and it can be powered effectively through various sources, including mains electricity, vehicle power, solar energy, or batteries. This flexibility ensures the device can function in almost any setting, including 24-hour operation in off-grid areas and in regions without reliable mains electricity.

Big Box is built for durability and longevity. The device's rugged, IP65-rated enclosure protects it against dust and water, making it suitable for outdoor or challenging conditions. Its passive cooling system and modular design contribute to a long lifespan and ease of repair.

Open-source firmware allows for community-driven improvements, customisation and long-term security support. It features a fail-safe system for remote updates, ensuring the device remains secure and up-to-date without risking operational integrity during power interruptions.

Ease of management and deployment are central tenets of Big Box. The system can be managed both locally, through a user-friendly web interface, and remotely, via a cloud-based system to ensure optimum connectivity and performance as well as key metrics for connectivity measurement and evaluation. Its design prioritises simplicity in setup and use, removing the need for specialised, costly technical knowledge which is mostly unavailable in marginalised and underserved communities.

Big Box V1’s power lies in its ability to deliver robust and versatile internet access in almost any environment combined with its ease of use, durability and open-source software. It can be a critical and widely-applicable tool in bridging the world's digital divide in education, bringing the power to transform lives.

We connect the unconnected. Targeting schools and educational charities across the world where connectivity is particularly challenging. By connecting adults and children in education to the internet we help enhance the educational environment, raise aspirations and expand opportunities. 

We work in partnership with organisations in local communities to ensure we are able to make the greatest difference on the ground. We tackle the digital divide in education - in the gap between schools who have access to affordable, reliable internet (and the skills and devices necessary to take advantage of that access) and those who don’t.

The best way to show the difference we make is to share some real-life examples of our impact. 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Big Box is helping to provide new education opportunities to young people at risk of joining local militia through our partner CEAFPD Education Centre. 

“There is no doubt that without [Jangala’s] immeasurable support, these young people would find it difficult to know what computers and the internet are. Therefore, they would remain in this cycle of poverty which overwhelms thousands of young people all over the world and in the DRC”. Fadhili Kyabira coordinator for CEAFPD, DRC

In Kampala Uganda, Big Box is enhancing education and increasing school enrolments. The Good Samaritan High School in Kampala supports 1,500 students across its primary and secondary schools and has connected its computer lab to Wi-Fi using Big Box. 

“The number of students at the high school has increased this term due to the fact that we have the internet. The ordinary level curriculum has been changed here in Uganda to a more practical and research based one. This means more usage of the internet. Having the internet available at the school through the use of the Jangala box has made this very easy for our students. We are in a hard-to reach area but with this box our students have not missed anything, as they have access to the internet anytime.” Joshua Araali Nyakairu, Programmes Lead. 

Kpando High School in Ghana supports over 3,000 students with free, high-quality education (funded by non-profit organisation EVA) to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Kpando Region. The Universal Free Schooling initiative in Ghana means that school attendance has risen hugely meaning at Kpando High School they have two cohorts of pupils each attending school for 6 months, then having 6 months away from the classroom. It matters that education is engaging and well-resourced to keep children coming back after the break. Not only that but the curriculum is internet dependent. The Ghana Educational Service provided different connective technology, but it didn’t work. When the school approached Jangala, their library was equipped with 60 computers but without internet access they couldn't make the best use of them. As well as providing a Big Box, to connect the computer lab, the Jangala team provided remote technical support to Kpando School – helping them build a network to cover all the school buildings. 

The Jangala team is a tight knit group of award-winning creative and tenacious problem solvers who love to collaborate with Project Partners with a joint focus on the best possible outcomes for our beneficiaries and mission. 

Jangala's story began in the Calais Jungle refugee camp. A small team of volunteers identified and came together to fill a critical gap in internet access, building a Wi-Fi network to enable over 5,000 refugees and support workers to connect to the internet.

Now an established charity - led by the original three co-founders Rich, Nils and Samson and governed by an experienced Board of Trustees -  we are a multi-disciplinary team of 21 people consisting of engineers, coders and humanitarian experts. To date we have deployed our Big Box technology to connect over 100,000 people to the internet in 37 countries. 

We created this technology from scratch and have developed three prototype generations based on user experience, combining a mix of high-level software and hardware technological expertise with practical skills and relationship building for systems deployment globally. 

We are experts in our field and highly experienced at working together on driving practical solutions to connectivity problems in challenging environments across the world. Keen to learn and skilled at applying this learning to our collaborative efforts, over seven years we have connected thousands of people - in refugee camps in Africa to health clinics in the Himalayas - ever since the founders came together in Calais to solve the problem of how to bring Wi-Fi to the refugees they were volunteering to help in a chronically difficult location. 

Our efforts have been widely recognised, including selection for the WFP's prestigious Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme in 2023, awarded the Clifford Chance SDG Award in 2022, placing second in the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected competition in 2022, and winning Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge in 2021.

Technology, Projects/ Programmes and Operations work very collaboratively. By combining our dedication, skills and experience we are able to deploy internet connectivity even in the world’s most hostile environments. 

True to our roots, we continue to work in close partnership with the communities we serve. This enables us to offer the right solution and tailor support for each school and educational charity we connect. Jangala works with trusted partners in local communities who have the local knowledge and experience which makes them best placed to understand the specific needs of the organisations and people that we are connecting. 

Jangala aims to balance the civil and political rights of end users while also protecting them from harm, respecting their data protection rights and their right to privacy and freedom of speech, as per our safeguarding policy. We do not collect identifiable data, and our technology follows a privacy- and safety-by-design approach. Our partner organisations are empowered with the controls they need to provide context-specific internet access, particularly in education settings.

We’ve now deployed over 135 protype Big Box devices to 37 different countries. We’ve tested how Big Box performs in a wide variety of scenarios helping over 100,000 connections and impacting a population of over 330,000. Whilst we have an established solution, Big Box is not certified yet and we have work to do to move towards manufacture. We also need to develop our systems and processes to be able to position for growth.

Our innovative Big Box solution is tackling a huge societal problem, which needs the concerted effort of many people and organisations to address. We want to move Big Box V1.0 from R&D and testing to manufacture at scale, developing the internal systems and processes alongside which are needed to scale Big Box deployments. This is a huge and transformational step for our organisation. 

To get ready for growth we are seeking expert support with;

Financial modelling & delivery modelling: Developing a new financial model alongside an enhanced delivery model, so that we are positioned for scale and able to grow our impact. Our existing financial and delivery modelling works at our current pace, but with the increase in demand that comes with scale, we know we need organisational step-changes. 

Market research: We plan to sell our products commercially to provide a sustainable income stream for our charity; profits will be re-invested to fund internet connectivity for grassroots organisations serving marginalised and underserved people who cannot afford it. Conducting market research that focuses particularly on commercialisation, price points, customer priorities and testing existing assumptions of partner/INGO interest will help us achieve this aim. We also want to conduct refreshed competitor analysis, mapping comparative advantages of existing products and honing our value proposition. 

Talent & capacity: Building a talent & capacity strategy, using the delivery model projections as a basis. This would include the key countries and demographic priorities of outreach and delivery for Jangala. We want to focus this work so that we can build hyperlocal knowledge into our scaling methods, by working collaboratively with our existing networks and building them further. 

Stakeholder mapping: To understand and prioritise our key stakeholders and audiences, consisting ideally of a current map and a ‘future ideal’ map, based on emerging ideas of strategy.

Circular economy: Discovery phase - completing research on partners, market exploration and technology synergies, to support Jangala to engage more deeply with this key strategic area. Potential areas of focus include how Jangala’s Big Box could support: remote monitoring and management of renewable energy systems, data collection of waste generation, facilitating education on sustainability and net zero, e-waste management and recycling, carbon off-setting projects focused on reforestation and afforestation. 

Organisational design: A full exercise to understand the structural, legal and governance options available to Jangala to underpin growth and scale. This would help us understand available options around becoming a social enterprise, B-Corp certified, a Community Interest Company and beyond. 

Communications: Opening networks and opportunities to connect with mutually beneficial potential partners; developing Jangala’s profile and diversifying storytelling.

Income generation and finance: How might we outsource our tech expertise and technology as an additional income stream; galvanise the tech community; secure longer-term support for longer-term planning. 

Big Box was designed to fill a big gap in the market. Here are five essential key features/ benefits that make Big Box different to competitors/ substitutes:

1. Big Box accepts up to 32 sources of internet backhaul – including satellite (of any type), in-built twin GSM modems, fixed wireless and also wired connections – dynamically monitoring each connection to achieve optimum throughput via each, effectively summing bandwidth. 

2. Up to 3,000 simultaneous users. A single Big Box can support up to 250 simultaneous devices with its in-built Wi-Fi 6 system and can power 6 external Wi-Fi radios to easily cover a whole school. A single Big Box appropriately extended can support 3,000 simultaneous users, routing at a full speed of 1 Gbps. 

3. Per-user traffic shaping. To maximise bandwidth usage efficiency (a key requirement of using strictly limited bandwidth satellite) Big Box performs per-user traffic shaping, enabling fast browsing but reducing the resolution of streaming video and slowing file downloads. To minimise network latency and increase responsiveness Big Box utilises per-backhaul connection traffic shaping to ensure large packets and 100% utilisation do not grind the network to a halt.

4. Designed for deployment in tough conditions. The system is shock, water and dust resistant. It’s lightweight and is equally at home in a fixed school setting or in a mobile education lab. Importantly, Big Box features a simple built-in UPS. A simple lead-acid battery can be directly connected to Big Box which will manage its charging and will failover gracefully and without interruption in situations where mains power is unreliable. Big Box can be reliably remotely updated in the field using miniscule amounts of data.

5. Easy to install by non-technical experts (one of the essential features of Big Box) thus reducing cost and barriers to deployment. This is achieved by intuitive local and cloud-based control and multiple forms of remote support.

Jangala is an internationally recognised, award-winning humanitarian technology organisation. In challenges, competitions and field tests we've repeatedly outperformed our peers - including commercial organisations - "Big Box is a superior product". Awards include Clifford Chance Sustainable Development Goals Award 2022 Winner, IEEE Connecting the Unconnected 2nd Place 2022, Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2021 Winner.

We want to ensure that all children are learning in great educational environments, helping them towards a better future. Our theory of change is that with investment to scale our operations we can collectively - with our partners - bring the internet to the 2.8million schools globally who are not connected. 

We get each Big Box to where it is needed most through our grassroots and strategic partnerships including with INGOs, national and local community NGOs. We complete due diligence and project set-up with each partner, this ensures a successful deployment. We provide support and ongoing monitoring, every step of the way. 

Every Big Box deployment makes a huge difference as;

• More children, young adults and educators get online

• More schools and educational organisations are connected to the internet

• More children and young adults access quality education, even in challenging contexts

• More children and young adults develop digital skills and improve their future employability

Which means that;

Teachers can access new training and learning material for their students and students themselves can get online for digital literacy lessons and/or self-guided learning. Imagine putting the accumulated knowledge of the world at the fingertips of all children and young adults in their own language. It’s possible. They won’t have to wait to be taught information, “they will be able to just reach out and grab it”. 

When a school is connected to the internet studies show that students are more likely to remain in education for longer and attend more regularly. 

We partner with Rescue Wing an organisation “helping women and girls to have unique voice and courage to build future their life through computer skills” in Kakuma. Erick Aloise, a Project Manager with Rescue Wing, explains how quality Wi-Fi is allowing them to expand their digital literacy program and connect with other learning institutions around the world: “After receiving Big Box, we have registered 80 students who will undertake a linguistics program from Cambridge and we added another computer program”. 

It’s easier for schools and educational charities to help more students. Each Big Box enables interactive teaching methods and improved administration, systems and planning. In Uganda Big Box has helped increase enrollments at The Good Samaritan High School “The number of students at the high school has increased this term due to the fact that we have the internet... Having the internet available at the school through the use of the jangala box has made this very easy for our students. We are in a hard-to-reach area but with this box our students have not missed anything, as they have access to the internet anytime.”— Joshua Araali Nyakairu, Programmes Lead

We change the future of communities. Each Big Box helps to develop a well-educated workforce more likely to be innovative and foster ground-breaking ideas, leading to economic development and job creation. EIU analysis shows that for every 10 percent increase in school connectivity in a country, GDP per capita could increase by 1.1 percent.

Through Big Box deployments to schools and educational organisations we will support SDG4 by;

• Enhancing primary and secondary education to support effective learning through connectivity (4.1) 

• Closing the digital skills gap (4.4)

• Increasing equal access to education by supporting improved systems and processes through connectivity and enabling education in challenging contexts (4.5) 

• Connecting schools (4.a)

We measure our impact through quantitative and qualitative data gathering which provides indicators for success.

We carry out a baseline survey at the beginning of the project to benchmark key indicators of user experience and confidence. After six months, a follow-up survey is completed to assess impact on user confidence with technology and online access, their access to services and their overall experience with the technology and the associated support from Jangala. 

We also monitor usage remotely via our cloud portal to ensure transparent and accurate data capture - including number of users and devices connected, frequency of use, user’s experience, data transfer and more. (NB We do not collect identifiable data and we follow a privacy- and safety-by-design approach). Alongside valuable connectivity statistics, this also allows for targeted assistance e.g. for users experiencing difficulties in connecting.  

Summary of KPIs - quantitative data collected by our cloud portal: 

• Number of devices connected to each system

• Number of users connected to each system

• Frequency of use

Summary of KPIs - qualitative data, obtained as part of baseline and follow-up surveys

• Technology has improved the user’s internet experience

• Technology has improved the user’s confidence with digital technologies 

• Technology has improved the user’s access to services

Big Box is a rugged (IP65) device engineered to provide reliable internet access in challenging social impact scenarios, aiming to bridge the digital divide in educational settings worldwide. Originating from a prototype developed during the European Refugee Crisis of 2015/16, Big Box has undergone three generations of evolution and is set to launch its V1 version by the end of 2024.

Hardware: Big Box features twin built-in GSM modems capable of connecting to 5G/4G/3G and 4G/3G/2G networks globally, ensuring both speed and reliability. Its capacity to manage up to 32 sources of internet access through 6 POE+ ports and 2 SFP ports makes it remarkably versatile. The device's powerful 4-core compute module enables flexible traffic routing and shaping, ensuring low latency and consistent user experience. With built-in Wi-Fi 6, Big Box can accommodate up to 250 clients, and its various ports allow for downstream expansion, facilitating connectivity in diverse settings.

Power: Operating on just 10 watts, Big Box offers low power consumption and can be powered via mains networks, low voltage DC sources, or direct solar connectivity, ensuring operation even in off-grid scenarios. Its compatibility with SLA batteries combined with solar power enables 24-hour off-grid operation.

Physical Design: Designed to withstand outdoor and challenging environments, Big Box boasts an IP65 rating and shock-resistant construction. Its compact dimensions allow for easy portability and mounting options, making it suitable for diverse deployment scenarios. Passive cooling and modular design ensure longevity and repairability in the field, with an anticipated lifespan of over 10 years.

Software and Firmware: Big Box's firmware is fully open-source, facilitating support and development by Jangala and the broader community. Secure remote updates ensure firmware remains up to date, even in environments with unreliable power.

Management, Ease of Use, and Analytics: Big Box offers both local and cloud-based management options, catering to diverse user needs. A user-friendly local interface delivered as a progressive web application allows for easy control and setup, even offline. Cloud Control enables partners to manage multiple Big Boxes remotely, providing real-time telemetry and analytics. Notably, Big Box can be deployed without specialist network engineers, enhancing scalability and cost-effectiveness. Jangala's project team offers support for deployment, ensuring successful implementation in various contexts.

17 full time staff members

1 part-time staff member

3 contractors 

5 trustees

8 years - our first prototype was designed and built in the Calais Jungle to address the lack of internet connectivity which meant refugees could not contact their friends and family, access services, education, health advice or any human rights information. By the end of 2024 we will have launched Big Box v.1 as we prepare to grow and scale our solution. 

Jangala was established as a charity after co-founder Nils went to the Calais Jungle to support the refugees living there. Nils has four adopted refugee brothers (from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan and Libya). Rich joined Nils on the project to help refugees, which was also very personal to Rich, as Rich’s parents and other family members are Ugandan refugees. 

After connecting the Calais Jungle to Wi-Fi, the co-founders established Jangala as a humanitarian technology organisation to develop Wi-Fi connectivity products with diversity and inclusivity baked-in into Jangala’s DNA - our mission and ethos, values and behaviours. 

People with lived experience continue to be at the heart of Jangala. We exist to support marginalised and underserved communities with Wi-Fi - such as working with grassroots partners that enable girls into STEM. Jangala’s product and project development focuses on user needs and UX. We’ve built links with local organisations to meet their needs as well as our remote communities. We conduct due diligence for each project with site visits where relevant and operate community Whatsapp groups for continuous feedback and wraparound support. On the technical side, UI informs our measurement and evaluation enabling us to identify and solve problems together with users to ensure digital inclusion for people in even the most challenging circumstances. 

As an organisation we also have systems and processes such as an EDI Policy, anonymized hiring, stating the salary on all job adverts, EDI questions in interviews and other proactive measures to promote diveristy and inclusion. 

We currently operate on a B2B model providing our products and services pro-bono to marginalised and underserved communities and the organisations that support them. Once we have certification (to enable Jangala to export commercially) and increase our manufacturing capacity we are planning to diversify with a trading subsidiary to capitalise on the potential of our technology to enable our impact to greatly increase. Everything we do is focused on growing our not for profit deployments. We are working towards this new business model, with the support of Clifford Chance, and this is one of the areas where we would also welcome Solve support. 

Right now we offer our technology for free to those who need it most, utilising funding from corporate partners (80%), trusts and foundations (5%) and through SDG partnerships (15%) such as the. World Food Programme. We identify need through our network of partners which continues to grow through word of mouth. We have yet to advertise our technology or to promote it outside of owned media. We know that far more organisations can benefit from Big Box, which is why we need to grow. 

Currently Big Box unit cost is £3000 to manufacture, deploy and support. Our main costs are parts, logistics and distribution (including customs) and labour to build each box, develop the technology and provide excellent levels of service and care to our partners on the ground. Each Big Box is currently manufactured by our own team in our London workshop. 

As we grow and increase our output we will be able to reduce costs based on economies of scale. 

This is our current deployment model:

We are now in a position where, by the end of this year, we will have a manufacture-ready Version 1 Big Box and be market ready in twelve months. Mass manufacturing Big Box will be a game changer for us, a game changer for INGOs and a game changer for education, healthcare and humanitarian disaster relief.

We will continue to seek and substantially grow voluntary income for the charity, particularly with longer term strategic partners. We are diversifying our funding portfolio to include untapped potential in additional income streams - from gaming to individual giving - as well as growing our existing sources and types of income. 

Mass manufacture also offers a substantial business development opportunity. So we have recently established a trading subsidiary, owned by the charity, to manufacture and sell our technology commercially in the future with a view to reinvesting the profits in the parent charity. 

The plan is for a three-tier operating model:

1) Pro bono projects (receive equipment for free, funded by Jangala funders/ commercial profits).

2) INGO customers (purchase at cost/ cost recovery for Jangala - funded by either the INGO donors/ funders or Jangala funders/ commercial profits)

3) Jangala trading subsidiary commercial customers (profits reinvested)

This model will provide sustainable long-term income for the charity as well as increasing our overall contribution towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.