Bridging the digital gap in rural Benin The undersea glass fibre cable WACS links Europe with Africa up to South Africa, following the west coast of the continent. At every main city, a branch comes on land as is the case in Cotonou. From there on it continues inland. This glass fibre cable has been completely functional for some years now. The Beninese government policy for the last three years has been using this cable to provide broadband internet all over the country. Government and E-learning programmes are already started, but the necessary funds are missing as well as the infrastructure for the countryside.Isocel, one of the leading internet providers in Cotonou, has proposed to develop this market together with the applicant IGI, a large hardware and software provider from Lebanon, as a joint venture. As a pioneer in this market, the joint venture will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with Benin's ministry for ICT, which has launched a master plan to establish ICT community centres country wide and which has invited companies to participate in a pilot in six communities. As part of the pilot the joint venture will provide broadband wireless access network in six cities and operate and manage ICT community centres in buildings provided for by the government. Additionally, the ministry will subsidise computer basic skill training as part of their curriculum for college students. This opportunity will provide the new joint venture with guaranteed revenues at the start of the project. In each community centre different activities will take place like basic computer skills education, sales of internet subscriptions, sales of used refurbished computers, internet café, sales of tailor-made ICT solutions for small businesses, NGOs and government institutions such as universities and ministries. After the start-up phase the joint venture intends to invest to expand the network into eight other cities in Benin and offer the ICT community centre concept as a franchise formula to new entrepreneurs. The long-term goal is to create country wide coverage with this new concept. This project will speed up business between the rural areas and the rest of the world.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)Both partners adhere to a CSR policy which will also be applied in the joint venture. Some major items are:•	At least 50% above minimum wages for all personnel.•	A 42 hour work week with consequent payment of overtime.•	Successful employees can become franchise company shareholder.•	A full healthcare programme is provided for.•	A workers council will be established with 5 members.•	The company employee handbook is one of the most important communication tools between the company and the employees. Not only does it set forth expectations for employees, but it also describes what they can expect from the company.•	Isocel has a skill based hiring policy, regardless gender or race. At middle management 5 over 7 employees are women at Isocel. At the joint venture the same policies will be used.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsA total of 88 employees will be recruited for the pilot phase. This represents the core staff needed to run the operations and it is the joint venture's intention to create these jobs for a long period of time. The staff members will receive wages at least 50% above the Beninese minimum. The joint venture will provide continuous employee training programmes in order to create better employment opportunities to its employees. The joint venture will among others ensure healthcare, training and education and meals for its employees.The working conditions will be contracted and incorporated by using the employee manual as an addition to the employment contract. At the moment the majority of the personnel of Isocel joined them right from the start and did not leave. This is an important indicator for the working conditions and atmosphere. By interviewing some employees, the career possibilities with Isocel were mostly cited as very interesting.•	Innovation/Transfer of knowledgeThe training programme is not entirely new to the country. Some advanced aspects of the course are however new to the country and certainly to the rural areas.In Benin and especially in the rural areas, training in ICT skills is unique. Furthermore, through acquiring ICT skills and the availability of internet, individuals and SME are able to further develop their skills continuously through self-paced learning.The ICT community centres, the trainers and their staff will be able to boost future ICT economic activity in the rural areas. The ICT activities can be furthermore used to upgrade practical business/industry/service relevant skills.•	Chain effectsThe project will be deployed areas like Bohicon, Parakou, Djougou and Natitingou where cotton farming and cashew nut production is very important. The farmer organisations will be able to create local content and publish it on their own websites, which will give them a better exposure and access to new markets as well as dramatically increase their competitive position and time to market. Product buyers will also use the internet to communicate with clients and principles.A Dutch buyer of organic cotton from the north of Benin confirmed to us that the project will ease his operation largely.The project will support the government's vision is "to make Benin Africa's digital district". Its pillars are: e-government, e-business. The projects impacts fast track the governments strategic priorities in the key areas of Infrastructure, Human Resources, Contents, Competitiveness.Thus creating new job opportunities in newly developed sectors for the country such as E-accounting, E-monitoring, Survey questionnaires, Call centres, E-marketing, E-businesses.•	EnvironmentThe joint venture will be using the old and discarded PC's to capture the potential customers to provide information access and IT tools to users in Benin, who would otherwise not be able to afford these computers. These second hand computers which are 2 to 4 years old still have over 5 years of useful life in a Benin setting. The joint venture will cooperate with IPAR to ensure proper disposal of computers after their technical lifecycle.•	Position of womenIn line with the gender policies of both partners, the joint venture will be an equal opportunity employer with a skill based hiring policy. Additionally the joint venture will try to boost a shortage of women in the ICT industry through the development of practical programmes designed to attract and retain women in the field.The joint venture will encourage women to enter the ICT industry and to enable women to achieve their full potential within their career. In line with the current ratio of the local partner the joint venture will aim to hire or train at least 50% women for middle management level positions. In Isocel actually 5 out of 7 department chiefs are woman, even the 'boss' of the, all male, technical installers department is a woman!Due to better access to information (through the Internet) women may be able to empower themselves. ICT incubation and development of value added ICT services in six minor cities of rural Benin.