Intelligent Mapping System for Routers
Chiedozie Okafor
1 collaborator
Hi, I’m Chiedozie and this is the story of how we helped people find connection in more ways than one.
I joined a project that aimed to solve a growing but overlooked problem people couldn't find the nearest internet-sharing routers, even though they were all around.
So, we set out to build a solution. What started as a technical challenge turned into something more meaningful: helping people in remote areas access affordable internet, and empowering router owners to grow their networks.
The Bigger Context
Internet access remains a luxury in many parts of Africa. While more router owners were stepping up to share their bandwidth, there was a critical gap:
People couldn’t locate the routers they needed.
The technology existed. The demand was growing. But the visibility just wasn’t there.
The Problem
Even with more affordable shared routers being deployed:
People had no reliable way to find the closest one.
Router owners had no motivation or visibility into their performance or rewards.
Users wanted to choose routers by preferred service providers, but had no filtering options.
We needed a system that would make these routers discoverable, transparent, and accessible both for those who needed them and those who owned them.
Understanding the People Involved
We spoke to two key groups:
Existing Router Holders – People who wanted insight into their router’s impact and rewards.
Potential Customers – People in remote and urban areas who simply wanted fast, affordable internet. Interview and Research Insights
What We Learned
Through interviews, observations, and support feedback, we heard:
“Data is expensive, every megabyte counts.”
“I don’t know where the routers near me are.”
“Why should I share my router? What do I get in return?”
“I want to see all router details, who owns it, uptime, speed, everything.”
“I trust certain ISPs more than others. I wish I could pick routers by network.”
These weren’t just feature requests. They were real needs from real people trying to connect to opportunity.
Framing the Design Challenge
Using the “How Might We” approach, I translated user pain points into actionable solutions:
How might we make routers easier to find based on a user’s location?
How might we reward and motivate router owners more transparently?
How might we help users choose routers based on their preferred ISPs?
How might we give owners and users full visibility into a router’s lifecycle and reliability?
The Solutions We Designed
1. Smart Map-Based Router Discovery
I designed an interactive map that shows all active routers nearby in real time, using GPS.
Users can sort and filter by distance, region, or availability.
Now, finding a router is as easy as opening a map.
2. Token Leaderboard for Router Owners
To incentivize participation, we introduced a leaderboard showing token rewards for top-performing routers.
Owners could now track how much they were earning and where they stood globally.
Transparency created friendly competition and more service availability.
3. Detailed Router Insights
Every router on the map shows:
Uptime
Owner profile
Performance history
Location reliability
Connection speed
Owners and users finally had all the context they needed to trust and choose wisely.
4. ISP-Based Filtering
We added a feature to filter routers by preferred internet service providers, giving users control over their connection preferences.
Especially valuable in regions where certain ISPs perform better than others.
The Outcomes
Four months after we launched, the results spoke volumes.
but the real win was seeing our solution change lives.
1000% increase in router/device purchases
3.29 Petabytes of data consumed globally through these shared networks
Won the “Into New Worlds” Innovation Award, receiving a $150,000 grant
And yes—we celebrated with the entire team on a rooftop bar.
What I Learned
This project wasn’t just about maps, filters, or tokens. It was about bridging digital and physical worlds helping people see opportunity where there was once only silence.
Designing for visibility meant designing for dignity.
When people know where to go and what to expect, they trust the system and each other.
Team & Stakeholders
Developers
Product Designer (Me)
Product Manager
Data & Network Analysts
Router owners and end users (our best teachers)
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Posted May 1, 2025
The goal was to design and implement an interactive dashboard that grants real-time visibility to the nearest router worldwide.
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