A Study on Software Project Management Challenges in ISP Network Expansion Projects in Developing Countries

Abstract

The article is a synthesis of recent studies (2023-2026) on the impact of software project management on the Internet Service Provider (ISP) network expansion projects in developing countries. Modern broadband expansion initiatives are no longer primarily hardware rollout and civil works, but rely more on the software-intensive elements of OSS/BSS configuration, service provisioning automation, network orchestration, multi-vendor interoperability, compliance documentation, and assurance processes. Such technical alterations merge with institutional reality typical of developing situations; regime fragmentation, regulatory multiplicity, capacity limitations, and resource ambiguity, generating an enduring risk of delay, price overruns and underperformance. A 2023-2026 reference set was used to select the 15 most important studies using a structured literature review methodology (with sparse use of older sources when needed to define the economic background). Thematic synthesis was used to code the chosen studies, which led to five interconnected challenge themes: (1) planning, requirements, and scope control weaknesses; (2) governance and regulatory complexity; (3) limitations in risk, cost, and schedule management; (4) project management capability constraints; and (5) technical integration and operational complexity. The results indicate that the results of a project in ISP expansion are not only determined by technical readiness, but also by the consistency of governance solutions, excellence of requirement management, resiliency-conscious planning and capacity to deal with integration and compliance within the heterogeneous vendor background. The paper ends by giving implications on the operators, regulators and implementing partners, with the need to be disciplined, requirements engineering, documentation, systematic risk management, and context-sensitive project governance to enhance the performance of delivery and inclusive connectivity.