Smart Campus Networks Transform Prospects for Young People across Cape Verde

Students throughout Cape Verde are getting their first taste of digital education as telecom provider Unitel T+ rolls out smart campus networks in the nation's schools.

The initiative aims to bridge a critical digital divide across Cape Verde's archipelago, where some remote schools lack even a consistent power supply, much less internet connectivity.

Nearly one-third of Cape Verde's families didn't have internet at home in 2022, making schools the primary point of digital access for many students, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data shows. Yet, with educational facilities spread across 10 islands, getting all of them online has long been a major hurdle.

"The government faced difficulties in ensuring connectivity for schools and including all young people in the educational system," explained CEO Inoweze Ferreira. "The project was very important for all stakeholders of education, including teachers and children, because they had a lot of difficulties."

While digital connectivity could transform educational prospects for young Cape Verdeans, implementing the networks across the scattered islands proved complex.

"The project was not only about providing connectivity – we wanted to think beyond that," Ferreira said, "it is providing a new paradigm of education."

Unitel T+ established two pilot digital schools with Huawei, allowing Ferreira's team to identify needs that went further than basic access.

One of the first major problems was improving attendance. Since COVID-19, many students simply hadn't returned to school, with secondary education enrollment falling to 49.1% from 52.5% in 2022-23, according to UNICEF. Boys were particularly affected, with enrollment dropping to 38.9%, while the transition rate from eighth to ninth grade plunged from 78% to 54%.

"Since COVID, we had a lot of difficulties to put people in school," said Ferreira. "Therefore, one aspect of the smart network is to register the absences of the students." This allows the education authorities to get a much better idea of attendance across the country, allowing educators to target at-risk populations more effectively.

Another focus area was equipping classrooms with interactive technology. "We are providing smart classes, new content, and a diversity of equipment," Ferreira said. The initiative includes smart screens and digital content delivery systems to facilitate more engaging learning.

Ferreira emphasized how Unitel T+ is working closely with stakeholders to ensure successful implementation. "We need to help people adapt to these changes," he stated, highlighting the importance of teacher training and parent engagement.

The company's partnership with Huawei, which has been ongoing since 2007, remains central to the initiative. "Huawei is more than a supplier; it is a partner that helps us implement our vision," Ferreira said.

The success of the education network opens opportunities outside schools, with Unitel T+ now planning to extend smart solutions to hotels and hospitals. "For us, it's an opportunity to move beyond pipes and beyond connectivity," Ferreira said.

With tourism accounting for 30% of Cape Verde's GDP, Unitel T+ is centering first on Sal Island, where it plans to use artificial intelligence and virtual reality to understand visitor mobility and enhance services. "We need to welcome well the people visiting us," Ferreira said. "Visitors need the same services they have when they are back at home."

The initiative is part of Unitel's broader vision to modernize services across the archipelago, with the company also exploring green energy solutions and more efficient power consumption across its networks.

"We have the ambition to transform the economy, to transform the digital economy, and to involve people and companies," he said. "Our goal is to connect the country."

With this great vision, Unitel T+ not only seeks to enhance educational opportunities for young people but also aspires to foster innovation and economic development across Cape Verde, setting the stage for a more connected and prosperous future for the archipelago.