Thirsty Rock

Mobile Network Operators (MNO) seldom roll out GSM services in rural or sparsely populated communities. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), CAPEX and OPEX determine which areas are serviced and those which are not. A small rural population of 2.000 can generate annual revenues around USD 48.000 (assuming ARPU of USD 2.00/month). Lets see how this compares with equipment cost. Equipment manufacturers do not publish price lists and almost all transactions are covered by Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA). However, by gleaning promotional materials it is possible to arrive at a good guestimate cost of a small BTS . To service a small subscription base of 2.000 you require an investment of about USD 90/subscriber (USD 90.000 per transceiver (TRX) including connectivity to the core network - BSC and MSC). About 70% of this cost is infrastructure related: air conditioning, security, generator sets, sleeping quarters, civil works etcetera. The cost of active elements (electronics) is roughly US...

Sedmak, M. and Longhurst, P. (2010) Business Process Management Journal, Vol 16(4), pp 76 - 91 This paper discusses research design choices available to enterprise systems researchers from a social science perspective. The overall approach is relevant to most IS systems research as it unpacks the different layers including the researchers notion of reality (epistemology), theory building (variance and process theory), research approach, strategy and the method of inquiry (survey, experiment, case study and grounded theory). The authors also discuss techniques for data collection as well as researcher involvement in the research setting (immersed, external or participant). From the onset the paper acknowledges the complexity of information systems research and highlights the problematic distinction between closing an IS project and going 'live'. A second hurdle for a novice researcher is the absence of standardised terminology within the research community. While the third ...