Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wireless in Afghanistan

Wireless in Afghanistan


People in the Third World, have in former war zones or in areas of conflict often do without fast internet. There are inexpensive ways of networking, such as the Volunteer Project FabFi shows.

Internet is, one might think, at least for some people, luxury. Who lives in a country where until there was recently the war, which was hit by natural disasters, or is in a constant state of large and severe crisis, which has enough to do to ensure their livelihoods, provide food, shelter and clothing . Surfing the Web and online communications since coming in last place.

The makers of <a href="http://fabfi.fabfolk.com/"> FabFi project </ a>, which originated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is international computer specialists, know that is not true. "Access to education, medical information and other important resources are increasingly using the Internet," she said. All the more urgent is also troubled parts of the world as quickly as possible to provide them with network access. And that does not even have to be expensive: FabFi was founded to bring Internet to the simplest means in crisis regions.

In Afghanistan, the experts are working on a voluntary basis in Jalalabad hit by terrorist attacks, almost the entire city is covered with a local WLAN. About 50 nodes, the network, where every individual has cost just under $ 60 - including all necessary equipment such as routers.

For networking built a weather-proof base station is used with free software that depends on a specially designed antenna. This is made of wood, wire mesh elements and the skin of empty oil cans, which come from the aid packages of the development agency USAID. About five kilometers can be bridged will fall back on. Power comes from car batteries, in turn, should not stand in the regular network. At least 11.5 megabits are available for city residents since been prepared. Anyone can dial in for free with a laptop - in a country where people can usually only afford higher income brackets Internet access.

FabFi has already begun in Afghanistan in 2009 to plan and build its network. At first a village, a hospital, a university and a non-governmental organization were connected. The makers stayed here to involve the local population. "These are inexpensive, home-grown networks, which can be easily extended to isolated regions, to bring them into contact with the outside world," said FabFi. This enables a socio-economic development, as they had not previously imagined. And even if the FabFi team leaves the area again, the networks continue to be maintained: Thanks to training programs can take over the population.

A second project has started in Kenya FabFi. It was chosen a different approach: Instead of providing free Internet with a single region, called a Distributed Internet Service Provider was founded based on technology developed at FabFi. This DISP called Join Africa, regions should provide cover costs at reasonable prices, in which the power supply for the local telecom company does not pay. Between 256 kilobits and megabits per second can buy the customer. Payment is easily the most widespread in Kenya over the phone payment system MPesa.

This is not without a certain irony: While the mobile network operators do not manage it so far in the area to offer fast wireless Internet in Kenya, Africa with the join succeeds simple wireless technology. To the educational mission that has FabFi set to carry on, must not be paid for the entire Internet - Wikipedia, the learning opportunities as are available and are free to keep the traffic low, cached locally.

Africa is currently available in the region join Mt.View / Kangemi. The makers want to expand their offerings, however. Technically this is not problematic: Adjacent unserved areas can be connected via so-called mesh networks. It takes a router, the signal of another and expand the range. Longer distances can be bridged, as in Afghanistan with low-cost antennas.

The FabFi staff are currently working to extend its range in Kenya. This recently founded his own company. The aim is also perceived by local telecom companies as part of the industry to be.

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