For most Kenyans, access to a telecommunication network is something they cannot live without.

Mobile telephony and related services such as M-PESA can arguably be considered a basic right, same as food, shelter and clothing.

But for Kenyans in the remote parts of the country, it is still the norm to walk for hours in search of a network signal or to climb trees and hills scanning for glimpses of a network.

Due to their remoteness plus sparse and nomadic population, these remote areas offer little to no return to mobile network operators on the huge investment in the infrastructure required to avail the network.

However, with the world being increasingly global and the government taking most of its services online, there is an obligation to make digital access available to all citizens.

Hence the idea of the Universal Service Fund (USF). A pool of money comprised of 0.5% of the gross annual turnover of mobile network operators, funds from government, and grants from external donors.

Mooted in 2009 and fully operationalised in 2013, USF aims to make network accessible, available and affordable.

Administered by the Communications Authority of Kenya, the USF project is now getting into Phase 3 and 4.

“The impact of USF is that it has made people in remote areas access services they were not accessing before. Those services are very critical for their communication, for security purposes and for administration purposes,” says Julius Lenaseiyan, from the Central and Eastern Regional Office of the Communications Authority of Kenya.

Safaricom has been actively involved in the USF project as a contributor and in bidding for the tenders to install infrastructure in the underserved and unserved areas across Kenya.

“Safaricom has always used technology as a tool to ensure that no one is left behind, because we’ve witnessed the power of technology. This is the reason why Safaricom wants every Kenyan to be able to make calls and be connected to the internet,” explains Ian Siako, a Senior Officer Technical Regulations at Safaricom.

Successful completion of Phase 1 and 2 of the USF project in the North of Kenya has seen remote areas in the vast Marsabit, Turkana, Baringo and West Pokot counties get access to mobile telephony and related services.