RANET stands for Radio and Internet technology for communication of weather and climate information to rural communities for sustainable development. It involves the use of a small digital radio operating on long-wave band.
It is capable of accessing the internet signal directly from the World Space satellite in order to receive data and information in rural settlements. The message is translated into the local language and then broadcast to rural communities within 40-60 km radius. Such information technologies are designed to, among other things, improve infrastructure of delivering information on climate forecasts as well as other developmental information to rural communities.
Communication through RANET is a strategic tool to help rural communities organize themselves as groups and jointly manage agricultural production and marketing, exchange experiences and obtain technical and economic information e.g. on water harvesting techniques, use of fertilizer, use of weather forecasts, combating soil erosion, and current commodity prices.
