Please can any one tell me how to set up an internet cafe in a small town.
I know this will be easy in a city like Lagos, but this is going to be in a small town.
There's no internet cafe in my village even though it boast 2 secondary schools.
All responses will be appreciated.

@ naijacutee Thanks very much. This information is invaluable.

Nice one bro. You will make your people proud. What village you from?

HELLO, I AM A RESELLER TO THE BEST ISP IN THIS COUNTRY FOR NOW *Netcom* AND THERE'S NO PLACE IN NIGERIA THAT THEY CANNNOT COVER EVEN TO GHANA & BENIN REPUBLIC. IF ACTUALLY U ARE DETERMINED TO GET CONNECTED U CAN CONTACT ME, kaymillenium@yahoo.com , then we can dicuss

If We had more Nigherians like you. I'm 100% Certain that in 15 years time we'll be among the top 15 economies in the world.

If you state the location it may help in giving you a good advice
Netcom is good ,bt i hope it won't be too expensive, depending on your plan

Nice thinking but dont overprice the villager to make a billion naira profit  .

If a businessman "over-prices" his product, he will not sell enough of it to make a profit. It's not a moral issue at all.

Thanks everyone for your great comments. Am from Ubiaja in Edo state for those asking where am from. My nieces and nephews have to travel to the nearest town just to get on the net. This is really not about how much i will make on the business. This is more a charitable venture so to speak. Thanks every one for your input. Soon every naija village will have an internet cafe. DO ONE THING THIS YEAR, GET YOUR PEOPLE ON THE NET. The next generation of your kinsmen will forever thank you for bringing the world to the village.


@KayB I will be in touch with you soon, i've got your email addy.

Thanks@naijacutee

Do your feasibilty study first.
the cost of power generation in the village would be a burden but you can get around it by scheduling time for operation depending on the needs of your customers for instance early in the morning and evenings the Generator must be on, or as applicable in your side.
Also approach government agencies and corporate firms around your village and so elite email sending and receiving services for them through your cafe. You could have pigeon holes for them in your cafe if they are a distance away.
So many ideas. Ihad worked on one before but I could not finish the study since work posting got me out of the village in which i wanted to site one.

@madeonline Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

Seun:

If a businessman "over-prices" his product, he will not sell enough of it to make a profit. It's not a moral issue at all.

@Tornadoz: What a great idea! It can be done. Don't let anyone discourage you.

@mandi. Thanks buddy.

Tell that to Bill Gates! lol

WIndows and MS Office are so succesful partly because they are underpriced relative to their competitors.

Seun:

WIndows and MS Office are so succesful partly because they are underpriced relative to their competitors.

What?? M$ underpriced?? Maybe you don't know that for what M$ Office does there is Openoffice.org for FREE. See most people don't know that because they are so blinded by brand names.

Hi there how is all the Nigerian here.

I saw this forum when I was doing my research on internet isp and internet cafe in Dr Congo.
As a black men in IT field, I have to help you as much. I am fine self I am about to open a internet learning center and internet cafe in Dr Congo.

This is how I am doing it.
1. Check prices for vsat internet connection if you have 5 computers its ok to share a 512kb speed to start with if you have 10 computers the you need at least 1mb.

2. Get buildning

3. get a internet cafe software

4. contact local business to support your internet cafe (as its the only one in the area)

5. put low price

6. have someone that teach people how internet works.

7. Get computers that can handle het, have spare parts ready.

8. have a offer system like if you surf 10 time you get 1 hour free to surf.


Hope this help. Any other questions let me know.

Ps My company is based in Sweden.

Your biggest problem apart from the actual Internet Connection would probably be power. I would recommend that you look into solar power / inverters / batteries. Your initial cost would probably be higher than with a generator but your running costs would be much lower.

@CongoDr & LearnBook
Thanks to both of you for your input. All advice taken as am new to this line of business.
Much appreciated thanks.

I think Nduka Irabor, a member of   National Assembly did  a project like this in his constituency , I don't know if he is still serving in the house, may  be you can check up on him or his office to get a first hand information. You have to be very cautious with Vsat and ressellers, because they will be telling some technical information you cannot really understand. How do you measure a dedicated bandwith or shared bandwith? How do you measure byte speed. I think you may also need a consultant.

do your feasibility study dude! An internet cafe in the village, not sure about the demand.

It doesnt need to be about the demand. Think like this he do the internet cafe in the village more people will learn how to use a computer and internet, do you know what can do on a village?, imagine if only 20% of village in africa had internet.

You would have total new market for things and communication. I am sure that he will make money at the end.

knowledge gives money.

the only thing He needs is a good deal with IPS (INTERNET PROVIDER), Maybe VSAT Solution.

Oooh yes I forgot before. You have to put skype on your internet this will make people in the village to connect with people outside even sell stuff maybe.

can I ask how big is your village? then I give you some other tips if you want.

@adconline
Thanks for your imput
@KUNLEx
Though I haven't gone to my village to check the facts, am getting good feedback from my feasibillity study from my
contacts in the village.
@CongoDr
Thank you very much. The population of my village is about 10,000, and with the surrounding villages its near enough 25,000.

Ever Heard Of WIMAX? IEEE 802.16e & d?

Im currently doing my research on that standard. Most especially the security issues involved in the 802.16e scheme. Wireless BroadBand is the Next Big Wave.

WIMAX would provide unhindered access to most remote areas. Try looking into it. Its just an advice.

How many computer will you have there. Someone said some thing about security that is good to think about.
But for you I dont think that it should be your Prio1 so the cost doesnt get too high. its ok if you use a good firewall.

What kind of operative system will you use? windows or something else?
Get a free linux if you know how it works then you dont need license. And linux have really good security.

On other question will you be there and manage the Internet cafe? if no how will you check all the sales?
If you need questions on those things let me know.

@Pain
I have never heard of WIMAX, but now that you told me am definitely going to search for it. Thanks for the info.

@CongoDr
I would add more if the demand is there, but I intend starting with 15 computers.

On other question will you be there and manage the Internet cafe? if no how will you check all the sales?

No I won't be there to run it.

So how will check if everything is ok or not, I talking about computer status, hardware, internet sales and trafic. Then you have think about virus

For virus you should have F-secure antivirus (the problem is it will make your net little slow all good antivirus does that, as the scan all the trafic). YOU MUST HAVE ANTIVIRUS because if you get a bad virus you could be down for long time.
Its not only for virus its for stoping people trying to access you net with you knowning it.

Have a nice weekend

@CongoDr
Have a nice weekend too bro.

You are actually thinking in the same line,i presently doing my compulsory one year NYSC in Isiala-Ngwa North,Abia state.I discovered that the nearest place where there exists internet connections are Aba or Umuahia, been a very industrious and IT inclined person i have been trying to see the possibility os using one of this CDMA telephones(Starcomms,Multilinks,Bourdex) and my main source of backbone, with this CDMA lines one could still have 2-3 computers running but not at top speed anyway.
My major headache is that my stay is quite limited,i should be oncluding my service by August and investing the little token i have managed to save into a business i cant really say what do futur would look like, i have rather decided to sell out the idea,but i can help with the implementation anyway.
This whole idea of VSAT and the rest are good but my advice is do not invest too much at the beginning,everyone is trying to market themselves,so beware.

@buddie
Thanks for the advice.

TORNADOZ, this one wey u just dey tell everybody thanks like say thanks na autograph or payment, i go look into dat but try wimax.