While issues of access in the networked age and the relative merits of wireless, satellite or solar power are being discussed internationally, a DFID funded research and development project in South Africa and Egypt is exploring what actually happens at community, school and classroom level when ICT is introduced for the first time in rural primary schools. Does ICT change the way teachers teach? And if so, in what ways? How do pupils respond to ICT- enhanced teaching? This research project, DEEP (the Digital Education Enhancement Project), is a collaboration between the Open University RITES* group, the University of Fort Hare, South Africa and the Programme Planning and Monitoring Unit, Egypt. Over a three year period the project has been exploring and evaluating an ICT enhanced professional development programme to support teaching and learning in literacy, numeracy and science. Project findings indicate that the impact of ICT, complemented by thoughtful school based training and quality resources extends further than pupil achievement and the development of new ICT skills. Benefits include developments in teachers' pedagogic and subject knowledge, growing professional identity and self worth, together with an enhanced status for educational achievement in the rural communities that they serve.