Connectivity looks very different in emerging markets, and especially in Africa, where historically the cost of internet and mobile devices have prohibited the majority of the population from accessing the internet. That’s now changing, thanks to advances in technology, the falling price of smartphones, and the work being done on the ground by leaders like 2011 Michigan Ross alum Alicia Levine.
In 2015, Levine moved to Kenya and became COO of Surf Kenya, a newly launched subsidiary of EveryLayer, a company that uses its proprietary software stack to deliver high-speed, affordable broadband. To dramatically lower the cost, Levine said Surf innovated new business models to pay for internet, scaling lower cost networks and subsidizing costs by awarding data bundles in exchange for engagement such as sponsored app downloads, video advertisements, or consumer surveys.
