By: Robert
Kwaku Annor
The Malawi Research and
Education Network (MAREN) has reached 85,965 students, academics and
researchers through improved internet connectivity in higher education
institutions across Malawi, exceeding its initial target of 15,000
beneficiaries.
The achievement follows
support from the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) through the World
Bank-funded Digital Malawi Foundations Project (DIGMAP), which provided
internet bandwidth and financial resources to MAREN between 2018 and 2024 to establish
and strengthen its operations.
Speaking at the 2026
UbuntuNet-Connect Conference in Lilongwe, Digital Malawi Acceleration Project
(DMAP) Manager, Chimwemwe Matemba, reflected on the partnership and how it
helped transform MAREN from an idea into an operational institution.
“Initially, MAREN existed
only on paper. We came in to support its operationalisation, helping establish
a shared network that would connect higher education institutions and make
internet access more affordable,” said Matemba.
He explained that before the
intervention, universities and other higher education institutions faced high
internet costs, limited campus network coverage, difficulties accessing
scholarly materials and inadequate technical capacity to manage their networks.
Through the support,
institutions benefited from shared connectivity, making it easier for students,
lecturers and researchers to access online learning materials.
Women accounted for 40 per
cent of the 85,965 beneficiaries reached by MAREN.
The initiative also
contributed to a significant reduction in internet bandwidth costs, which
dropped from US$466 to US$14 per megabit per second per month. Available
bandwidth per student increased from 7 kilobits per second to 128 kilobits per
second.
Beyond connectivity, MAREN
has introduced services aimed at improving academic access and encouraging
collaboration among higher education institutions.
Through eduroam, students
and researchers can access secure Wi-Fi when visiting participating
institutions, while eduGAIN enables them to access scholarly resources using
trusted digital identities.
These developments have
created opportunities for students and researchers to share knowledge, access
international academic resources and collaborate with colleagues beyond
Malawi's borders.
The PPPC has hailed MAREN
for its contribution to improving access to quality education, research and
innovation through internet connectivity in higher education institutions
across the country.
