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Good practice Imported

ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities (HPRC) — Guyana's LEO-Satellite Connectivity and Digital Skills Rollout

Guyana · Georgetown · See the Guyana profile · See the Georgetown profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 55% 72/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Guyana's national HPRC programme has built 153 solar-powered ICT hubs and connected 225 of 253 targeted hinterland communities to Low Earth Orbit satellite internet, reaching 128,000+ residents and training 1,156+ people, funded through the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

153 hubs
ICT hubs established
126 hubs
ICT hubs fully operational with solar power
225 of 253 communities
Targeted hinterland communities connected via LEO satellite
128,000+ residents
Residents reached by high-speed access
1,156+ people
Residents completing ICT training

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Office of the Prime Minister, Guyana / National Data Management Authority (NDMA)
Period
2018–ongoing (LEO satellite rollout since 2024)
Keywords
connectivity, digital literacy, indigenous communities, rural development, satellite internet

Context

Guyana's hinterland and Indigenous communities have historically had little or no internet access due to remoteness and the absence of terrestrial telecom infrastructure. The Office of the Prime Minister, through the National Data Management Authority, runs the ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities project (HPRC), financed through Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).

Activities

The programme builds solar-powered ICT hubs equipped with computers and internet access — originally via cellular towers, more recently upgraded to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite links — alongside basic ICT and digital-skills training for residents, hub managers and technicians.

Results

According to the latest public reporting, 153 ICT hubs have been established (126 fully operational with solar power); 225 of the 253 targeted hinterland communities have been connected via LEO satellite internet, extending high-speed access to more than 128,000 residents; and 1,156+ residents have completed ICT training.

Conclusions

Independent local reporting (Kaieteur News) has cautioned that infrastructure gains do not automatically translate into use: poor and inconsistent connectivity in some hinterland areas continues to limit residents' ability to benefit from digital-school and other online services, even where hubs or connections exist.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — A national programme building 153 solar-powered ICT hubs and LEO satellite links across hinterland regions, financed through a dedicated climate-and-development fund (GRIF), implies high infrastructure cost.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Phased rollout since 2018, with a shift to LEO satellite technology from 2024, spanning multiple sequential project phases — a long-running, multi-year programme.
Staffing & skills
Office of the Prime Minister, Guyana, National Data Management Authority (NDMA)

Conditions for success

  • solar power for off-grid reliability
  • shift to LEO satellite technology after cellular-tower gaps persisted
  • integrated digital-skills training alongside infrastructure

Common failure modes

  • poor and inconsistent connectivity in some hinterland areas continues to limit residents' ability to benefit from digital-school and other online services, per independent local reporting

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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