The pilot project, called MTN Access, was launched in mid-2006 across 10 internet kiosk sites and employs HSDPA technology to bring local communities high-caliber data services.

Ashraff Paruk, head of Business Strategy, MTN South Africa, says: "South Africa has in excess of 13 million subscribers. We did not want to wait another 10 years to get the same number of data subscribers, and we felt we needed a number of incentives to bring it forward.

"The most important part of the project is that it delivers high-speed broadband internet to communities that currently do not have access, or will not have access, to it for another two or three years, in terms of availability of technology."

One of the pilot's key ingredients for success is MTN's focus on partnering with local entrepreneurs to ensure simple yet sustainable business models.

After testing whether an internet café can be created and run by local entrepreneurs in a poor community, MTN then provides support infrastructure, such as financing and business training.

"We are starting to get a comfortable sense that this is going to work," Paruk says. "The trick is to get all the logistics and financing in place and make sure it is sustainable. There have been lots of internet cafés in South Africa - the approach we have taken is slightly different.

"We provided a lot of business support, training and so forth, looking for cost-effective models that leverage MTN's purchasing power. The branding itself brings people; however there is a second aspect to it, which is around creating other revenue sources, such as being able to sell airtime, stationery, and printing - all of which makes it into a broader concept rather than just a pure internet café."

From the end-user's perspective, there is a clear pricing structure, cutting-edge technology, and features such as ready access to homepages in their own language.

"There is an underlying demand for people to use it (the internet)," Paruk says. "It is about getting fundamental access to information very easily, whether that's educational content or basic news. The internet itself represents a new level of development and people are naturally attracted to the communities it creates."

The HSDPA wireless solution also represents a cost-effective rollout for MTN.

"The MTN Access site is run on HSDPA, which some may describe as 'Rolls-Royce,' but to us it is just a basic necessity," Paruk says.

"The cost of delivery for us has got to be lower than fixed-line infrastructure. The challenge is not seeing wireless broadband as a premium service, but as a basic necessity."

Ericsson is the sole supplier of MTN's 3G network and is committed to providing communications for all.