The need for a systems thinking approach to the planning of rural telecommunications infrastructure

The Rural Telecommunications System is not just a technological system but a complex system of people and technology interdependent on other systems/subsystems. Therefore, the issues involved in the deployment of rural telecommunications infrastructure, if all its stakeholders are to benefit, are not always technological, but are often complex and ‘messy’, cutting across various aspects of the rural society, especially in developing countries. Consequently, the planning of rural telecommunications infrastructure requires an approach that addresses such complexities. It is proposed that a systems thinking approach to the planning of rural telecommunications infrastructure will yield far more value than is possible from current approaches, for all of its stakeholders.