[UgaBYTES] Wireless Africa

[Meddie Mayanja]

Cleopa, thanks for sharing this.

Meddie

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org [mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Cleopa Timon Otieno
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:35 AM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: [UgaBYTES] Wireless Africa

The just concluded IDRC funded Wireless Africa Project facilitated by Meraka Institute, CSIR introduced simple technological solutions Africa as continent needs at this time and age. Voice over IP and Wireless Internet Service Provider (VOIP in a box, and WISP in a box, mesh potato, Village Telco, Internet and Phone billing) Through WISP internet link can be shared amongst neighbors such as schools, organizations and institutions and have a billing system which enables the host to monitor, control and bill users.
This was a technical and business workshop; to build technical capacity to extend existing networks through introduction of new technologies and use the business model skills acquired sustain it.  The workshop brought together over 13 African countries (refer to website), with two representatives each. Most technological solution use the open hardware and software to create robust equipment affordable to Africa and built with Africa in Mind. The technologies are simplified and often referred to as being in a 'BOX'. The amazing part, the equipments are low power too.

The future according to the facilitators Alberto Escudero-Pascual and Louise Berthilson founders  of IT46, a Swedish consultancy company with focus on information technology in developing regions is that the solutions should be a plug and play piece of equipment that any one can plug into an existing network (LAN or WAN) to give it more functionality.  The team wouldn't be complete without Sebastian Büttrich is a generalist in technology with a background in scientific programming and physics. Originally from Berlin, Germany, he worked with IconMedialab in Copenhagen from 1997 until 2002. He holds a Ph.D. in quantum physics from the Technical University of Berlin.
His physics background includes fields like RF and microwave spectroscopy, photovoltaic systems, and advanced maths. He held a session. He is also a performing and recording musician. What a talent. He held a captivating session on Mesh Networking and internet Billing. Did you know that mesh networking through use of the very simple networking devices can extend your wide area network over 200km? It is possible.

The Wireless Africa consortia was present and was part of the very able facilitators.

The underpinning philosophy of the Wireless Africa initiative is to develop business models that support community owned networks whereby the infrastructure is owned and/or operated locally; local networking costs contained within the community and traffic is aggregated at the community level to save through bulk purchase of bandwidth.

Read more from http://www.wireless-africa.org

--
Cleopa Timon Otieno
Ugunja Community Resource Centre
www.ugunja.org
P.O.Box 330-40606
Ugunja
Kenya
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