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SolarNetOne Wants Stable Internet Connections For Developing Nations
There are many initiatives to bring tech to developing areas of the globe; things like OLPC, Geekcorps, and UN programs. One new approach from SolarNetOne strives to allow users in those developing areas to have access to an internet connection without having to depend on unreliable infrastructure. "Each SolarNetOne kit is a self-powered communications network. Energy is produced from a solar array sized to each locale's latitude and predominant weather conditions. The generated power is stored in a substantial battery array, and circuit breakers and electronics protect the gear from overloads and other perturbations. A basic kit includes five 'seats,' implemented as thin clients connected through a LAN to a central server. The networking gear also includes a long-range, omnidirectional WiFi access point, and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device. Each kit also includes all the cables and wires required to assemble the system, so few additional materials are required for an installation."
The parent is correct. I've worked internationally, and very few problems can simply be solved by providing material possessions to those without them. You can donate a tractor to a village and even provide them training in how to use it, but chances are it will never see even a portion of its potential. Even the most trivial of maintenance tasks for us can become incredibly compounded and complicated out there even if they have enough of a fundamental grasp of how to perform the maintenance. Where do I get oil? What happens the first time it needs an "inexpensive" $200 part from the USA or Europe?
The most successful programs that bring change to an area focus more on teaching people how to fully take advantage of the resources already at their disposal. A singular technology or resource can be brought in and taught if its fundamentally simple (like a hand water pump; forget electric) or how to make and use soap with the materials around them. Believe me, some of those tasks are already arduous.
This project is incredibly useful though, just not for the natives or computer illiterate. Target groups would be the international companies or organizations who set up bases in country and need and know how to take full advantage of the internet as a resource.