Over in SE Asia where little or no infrastructure exists there are several Internet providers who are using Wireless to provide access to customers. I know my ISP (http://www.laopdr.com/) is using Wireless to provide access to the National University of the Lao PDR (http://nuol.edu.la/)
I've been told by the techies they manage to get a good enough 8mb/s over a distance of around 10klms which is non LOS. I'm guessing it was 802.11 with a directional antennae. (check with the techies for more info)
I've dropped you an email with the techies contact email address. Sometimes developing nations are an interesting case study because due to lack of infrastructure they have to use sometimes experimental ways to cover the distance.
I also saw an article where an US University was using VHF to transmit data and got something like 50 miles out of it. Not sure of the URL. (try googling "Wireless" +University +USA or similar).
Daimon
Without going into too many details. I'm an Australian working in Laos in SE Asia.
My company has had me investigate the options for Internet use and connectivity for the company headquarters located in Vientiane (Capital City of the Lao PDR)...
Currently, we have the following options, not all broadband I realise, but it's good for background information.
Standard Dialup account, $40 USD/month (PLUS usage charges over 40 hours... $1/h)
Permanent Dialup account (lucky to get 21 kb/s with a 56k modem), $140 USD / month (TELEPHONE RATES are charged/minute at 1 cent US/minute)
Cable Internet 64kb/s at a standard rate of $300 USD/month (which I bargained down to $200 + free wireless lan for my laptop (paid 6 months in advance with 3 year contract *puke*).
Wireless at 64kb/s at $300 USD/m again.
Satellite service $600 USD/month and UPWARDS for 64kb/s upwards.. download limit beginning at 750 meg.
Thailand on the other hand (who supplies the satellite for Laos) is selling the same service for 3,000 BAHT/month which is equiv of around $80 USD/month... 10 km away it's 5 times the price.
You guys are incredibly lucky.. Internet here is slow, unreliable, and very expensive..:)
Technically speaking then, as we have pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden, they shouldn't be able to apply for visa's to the USA?
Doesn't plastic surgery stop this project in it's tracks, or maybe growing a beard or getting a haircut? I heard the AU Customs want to do something similar to this.
How 'bout that robot made by Honda Corporation, it recognises faces, and even waves too. Maybe they could ask Honda to lease it out for scanning Visa applications?? At least it's friendly and can probably be programmed to make coffee! [ess]
Over in SE Asia where little or no infrastructure exists there are several Internet providers who are using Wireless to provide access to customers. I know my ISP (http://www.laopdr.com/) is using Wireless to provide access to the National University of the Lao PDR (http://nuol.edu.la/) I've been told by the techies they manage to get a good enough 8mb/s over a distance of around 10klms which is non LOS. I'm guessing it was 802.11 with a directional antennae. (check with the techies for more info) I've dropped you an email with the techies contact email address. Sometimes developing nations are an interesting case study because due to lack of infrastructure they have to use sometimes experimental ways to cover the distance. I also saw an article where an US University was using VHF to transmit data and got something like 50 miles out of it. Not sure of the URL. (try googling "Wireless" +University +USA or similar). Daimon
Without going into too many details. I'm an Australian working in Laos in SE Asia. My company has had me investigate the options for Internet use and connectivity for the company headquarters located in Vientiane (Capital City of the Lao PDR)... Currently, we have the following options, not all broadband I realise, but it's good for background information. Standard Dialup account, $40 USD/month (PLUS usage charges over 40 hours... $1/h) Permanent Dialup account (lucky to get 21 kb/s with a 56k modem), $140 USD / month (TELEPHONE RATES are charged /minute at 1 cent US/minute)
Cable Internet 64kb/s at a standard rate of $300 USD/month (which I bargained down to $200 + free wireless lan for my laptop (paid 6 months in advance with 3 year contract *puke*).
Wireless at 64kb/s at $300 USD/m again.
Satellite service $600 USD/month and UPWARDS for 64kb/s upwards.. download limit beginning at 750 meg.
Thailand on the other hand (who supplies the satellite for Laos) is selling the same service for 3,000 BAHT /month which is equiv of around $80 USD/month... 10 km away it's 5 times the price.
You guys are incredibly lucky.. Internet here is slow, unreliable, and very expensive.. :)
Technically speaking then, as we have pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden, they shouldn't be able to apply for visa's to the USA?
Doesn't plastic surgery stop this project in it's tracks, or maybe growing a beard or getting a haircut? I heard the AU Customs want to do something similar to this.
How 'bout that robot made by Honda Corporation, it recognises faces, and even waves too. Maybe they could ask Honda to lease it out for scanning Visa applications?? At least it's friendly and can probably be programmed to make coffee!
[ess]