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Drive-By Internet In Hard-To-Reach Places
oldwindways writes "The BBC reports that in developing nations where it is prohibitively expensive to install the infrastructure for wired internet connections, drive by wireless updates are becoming a popular solution to the demand for internet access. This sounds great for checking news updates, sports scores, and visiting your regular websites, but somewhat limited if you are trying to do basic research and don't know exactly where your search will take you. It is certainly an innovative solution to some of the problems encountered in tackling the digital divide, but what longterm effects might this model have on the development of a communications infrastructure?"
Buses equipped with wi-fi are being used to deliver web content to remote rural villages in the developing world.
They have wi-fi equipped buses in this country too. Actually, since PCI is a standard, you can equip it with a lot more than just that.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
These places typically have huge problems with keeping wired systems going. Poor roads & access make it hard to fix physical breakages. In many areas, copper phone lines get stolen on regular basis for sale as scrap metal. You can't steal the ether.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Do not underestimate the bandwidth of a bus capable of carrying the entire internet.
liqbase
2 words, Customer demand.
They provide a service customers want.
Newspapers give a wide selection of articles because people are interested in different things, this service is just the same.
It says most users cannot read English, so the driver shows them and translates for them.
No wasted paper and a nice scalable infrastructure.
I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of service doesn't take off, there could be franchises all around.
Wouldn't be long term, but it would make money.
Congrats to the guy who put it together.
liqbase
Every day I get in the queue
(Too much, Magic Bus)
To get on the bus that takes me to you
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I'm so nervous, I just type and smile
(Too much, Magic Bus)
Your server is only another mile
(Too much, Magic Bus)
Thank you, driver, for getting my packets here
(Too much, Magic Bus)
You'll be a forwarder, have no fear
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I don't want to cause no fuss
(Too much, Magic Bus)
But can I buy your Magic Bus?
(Too much, Magic Bus)
Nooooooooo!
I don't care how much I pay
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I wanna drive my bus to the internet each day
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it
(You can't have it!)
Throughput and bandwidth every day
Just to drive to my ebay
Throughput and bandwidth each day
'Cause I drive my packets every way
Magic Bus, Magic Bus, Magic Bus
I said, now I've got my Magic Bus
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I said, now I've got my Magic Bus
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I drive my packets every way
(Too much, Magic Bus)
Each time I go a different way
(Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, i want it, I want it, I want it
Every day you'll see the dust
(Too much, Magic Bus)
As I drive my packets in my Magic Bus
(Too much, Magic Bus)