Lessons from the Field: The "Tech" in Technology-for-Development

Part II: Connectivity


Previous Digital Dividends' Lessons from the Field articles have surveyed ICT-for-development (ICT4D) through the lens of traditional development sectors such as health, agriculture, and microfinance. This feature shifts the focus slightly to see the ways that affordable computing and connectivity are being brought to underserved populations.

Part one of this series examined affordable computing and the ways that processing power is finding its way to less developed countries. Part two features an analysis of the innovative ways that connectivity is coming to previously unwired areas. Finally, in part three, some of the innovative software programs that have been developed for emerging markets will be discussed.

The spread of affordable computing to wire the Third World is only one step in bridging the digital divide. Affordable connectivity multiplies the power that comes with affordable computing. It is connectivity that allows Indian farmers to access real-time information on commodity prices, enabling them to make informed choices about when, where, and how they will sell their produce. It is connectivity that enables African fishermen to check weather conditions and identify where schools of fish might be located on a given day and time. The computer in itself is a useful tool; connected to the Internet, however, the computer becomes a positive force of economic and social development.

Many of the projects in the Digital Dividend Clearinghouse focus on bringing connectivity to unwired areas in the developing world. Some initiatives have developed innovative ways to deliver traditional telecommunications services; others are engineering and implementing technical solutions that address the unique problems of rural connectivity. Two recently developed technologies that are generating great interest amongst ICT4D practitioners are Wi-Fi (802.11b) and VSAT Satellite hardware.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi, shorthand for 'wireless fidelity,' is the name for a communications system that transmits computer data over short distances using radio waves. All Wi-Fi systems follow a standard known as 802.11, which was created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in the late 1990s . Any wireless network based on the 802.11 standard, including 802.11a, 802.11b, and 80211.g, can be referred to as a Wi-Fi network.

First introduced to provide wireless connectivity in such places as cafés, airports, and college campuses, ICT-for-development practitioners have since recognized Wi-Fi's utility in connecting rural, off-grid areas. Wi-Fi signals can be modified and amplified to reach a range of a few miles and thus bring connectivity to multiple villages within the radius of a single installation. Many initiatives based on the innovative application of Wi-Fi are now emerging from the developing world.

MIT's Media Lab Asia runs the Digital Gangetic Plains project. Digital Gangetic Plains demonstrates that the 802.11b standard can be used for rural connectivity. Through the project, wireless Internet access has been provided along the entire Kanpur-Lucknow corridor in India. Whereas a Wi-Fi station typically has a signal range of approximately 300 meters, for this project, MIT engineers incorporated directional antennas into a basic installation and were able to increase the range from 300 meters to nearly twenty kilometers. With the expanded range, a single installation can provide access to as many as 10,000 people spread across five or more villages in rural Asia.

Rather than focusing on connectivity as a 'last mile' issue, First Mile Solutions turns the concept on its head and focuses on connecting users through a bottom-up approach. Their innovative DakNet technology allows data to be uploaded and downloaded in a quasi-cached Wi-Fi system. This enables even the most remote locations to be connected to the communications grid. First Mile Solutions uses vehicles equipped with Mobile Access Points and a 256 Kb/s satellite uplink, which visit villages at regular intervals and upload locally-held data to the network. An excellent example of this model is the Internet Village Motoman Project, which was launched with help from the American Assistance for Cambodia group. This project connects solar-powered village schools and telemedicine clinics to the communications grid using five Honda motorcycles that upload and download data for Cambodian villages using the DakNet system.

The San Marino Wireless Project in Ecuador has implemented an interesting bottom-up innovation. The San Marino Mall, home to more than 250 retail stores, is now clearing retail transactions using a 802.11b (Wi-Fi) network that extends across the entire complex. Although the project is not designed to bring connectivity to the masses, it is an innovative example of Wi-Fi technology being employed at the bottom of the economic pyramid to encourage fledgling business. By using a wireless network instead of traditional phone lines, these businesses are able to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Deploying Wi-Fi technology is often difficult, especially in harsh environmental situations. Informal's Autonokit is an self-sufficient wireless network device that builds informal networks in rural locations and other demanding settings. Based on proven, low-cost technologies and open source software, the project hopes to simplify the process of setting up networks regardless of the network's location.

D-Link South America, in partnership with the local government and community members of Cora Cora, Chile, has set up a satellite-enabled wireless network in the small isolated village. The Cora Cora Wireless Network uses D-Link's 802.11b networking products to connect the village to the Internet, allowing access not only to the World Wide Web, but also to a number of local government and business-related information services.

It was a dream five years in the making. Mahabir Pun wanted to bring Internet access to his mountain village of Nangire, Nepal . Using wind and solar power, and the brain trust of some enthusiastic American students, his goal has been realized. The Nepal Wireless Networking Project runs on Cisco PC Wireless cards, D-Link 900 AP and 800.11b access points and provides connectivity to six villages in one of the most remote areas of Nepal.

SR Telecom's Point-to-Multipoint Wireless Access System demonstrates the versatility and range of Wi-Fi networks when they are extended using existing technologies. The project uses a low-cost technology that is able to connect points up to 720 kilometers from the central office through digital microwave radio and repeaters.

Satellite and VSAT

Another way to connect remote areas is through the use of satellite links. VSAT and similar technologies allow even the most isolated villages and rural areas to be linked without the need for on-the-ground infrastructure. Short for very small aperture terminal, VSAT is an earthbound station used in the satellite communications of data, voice, and video signals. A VSAT setup consists of two parts: a transceiver that is placed outdoors in direct line of sight to the satellite, and a device that is placed indoors to act as an interface between the transceiver and the end user's communications device, such as a PC.
There are many innovative projects in the developing world being built around satellite-provided connectivity. For example, SATELLIFE's HealthNet employs satellite, telephone, and Internet technology to serve the health information needs of countries in the developing world. They have put together a powerful set of tools for data collection, providing rapid access to information that policymakers and health planners need to respond to and prevent disease outbreaks, practice sound resource management, and track public health issues. The satellite link is crucial to the movement of e-mail and information in many of the countries where SATELLIFE works.

One innovative feature of this project is that it uses a local GSM cellular telephone network for connectivity. The project's handheld computers send and receive e-mail, information, and other data via 'jacks' - relay devices created by WideRay, Inc. of California. Those interested in the underlying technology infrastructure of this complex system should check out the Uganda Health Information Network page.

OnSat Network Communications' highly innovative Solar.net Villages seeks to provide wireless broadband connectivity to rural communities. It also implements a self-sustaining energy source at the village level which powers the new technology. The pilot project in San Ramon, Honduras has brought services including Internet access, distance education, and telephony to a place that was previously completely off grid.

With its exclusive access to 5 percent of the WorldSpace Satellite Network's bandwidth, First Voice International is active in a variety of projects throughout Africa and Asia. The connectivity provided by this extensive satellite network enables First Voice to broadcast and receive audio, text, and data and is helping them make a significant impact in people's lives. For example, through a partnership with First Voice, the RANET Project is now transmitting all of its content on a reliable, low-cost dedicated line to partners in 35 African countries. Additionally, every partner using First Voice equipment also receives the content from First Voice's other projects, including medical journal articles, information on agricultural best practices, news, community radio support materials, and much more.

Another leader in satellite technology is Intelsat, which has been providing rural telephony services in places that have no communications infrastructure. The Rural Telephony Trials in Peru and Senegal provide rural populations with telephony, which is in turn used to socialize, access agricultural price information, and make arrangements with the local agricultural board to sell produce. It also helps people obtain information on employment, healthcare, government subsidies, and other government services.

In South Africa, the Manguzi Wireless Internet Center provides Internet access, e-mail, and learning resources to schools in a very remote area of the KwaZulu Natal province where no telecommunications infrastructure exists. The center utilizes a unique combination of radio and satellite broadcasting technologies that provides connectivity to two nearby schools.

Further Research

There is a great deal of research seeking to determine how to best use emerging Wi-Fi and satellite technologies. The E-Link Americas project, for example, explores how to merge satellite and Wi-Fi technologies to deliver rural connectivity. Launched by the Institute for the Connectivity of the Americas (ICA), E- Link Americas enables end-to-end connectivity for social and community development in the Americas. Their solution uses a combination of satellite and terrestrial wireless technologies that provide Internet access to remote communities. The ICA also has an excellent collection of Wi-Fi briefs, which are very well done and worth a look.

In Africa, the First Inch, First Mile project has similar goals. Funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and administered through the Connectivity for Africa initiative, the project's ultimate goal is the formation of a network of ICT4D practitioners whose expertise in off-grid connectivity research will help Africans bridge the digital divide. Some of the technologies being examined include Wi-Fi, wired Ethernet, power-line technologies, Bluetooth, narrowband HF/VHF/UHF, and mesh networks.

Next Generation Cellular

While Wi-Fi and satellite technologies provide many exciting opportunities in ICT4D, connectivity's benefits can also be delivered from a simple cellular phone. Next generation cellular networks and new technologies such as Short Messaging Services (SMS) can provide a vital connectivity link without major infrastructure requirements and at minimal cost. There are many exciting projects that are using this affordable connectivity in innovative ways.

In Kenya, the Kenya Agricultural Commodity Exchange has developed, in conjunction with mobile telephone company Safaricom, a system to keep farmers better informed of commodity market prices. The SMS-based commodity pricing system allows farmers to bypass exploitative middlemen, who often charge below-market rates to farmers with few other options in terms of crop sales. In addition, the system helps farmers manage their trips to market, which can become expensive in terms of travel costs and lost time in the fields.

In Senegal, the Cyber Shepherd project allows pastoralists to make better decisions about where to graze their flocks and when to migrate to best avoid natural disasters. Project managers use Global Positioning Systems, cellular phones, and Internet-capable computers to provide accurate information. The state ecological monitoring center has provided training in these technologies for the pilot communities and the program has thus far been successful.

For years, Ugandan farmers were at the mercy of traders and middlemen who manipulated information asymmetries and, as a result, paid below-market prices for farmers' goods. FOODNET, a regional agricultural development network, was created in 2000 to address this problem. The network currently offers three low-cost services that enable farmers, traders, and consumers to obtain accurate market information whenever they need it. FOODNET's commodity price database can be accessed by mobile phones via Short Message Service. Many farmers have access to one of the more than 800,000 mobile phones now in service throughout Uganda, whether they own it themselves or share it with neighbors.

Another project using SMS messaging for similar ends is the Philippines' b2bpricenow.com, a free (but financially sustainable) agriculture e-marketplace. Using SMS messages, farmers and fishermen can access prices from 15 geographic regions throughout the Philippines. In addition to the SMS services, b2bpricenow runs an e-marketplace through which farmers and cooperatives can market their wares, bypassing traditional trader networks that often manipulate market prices.

As cellular technology spreads and next generation technologies such as G3 become commonplace, digital phone networks are likely to grow in their importance as an affordable and easily deployable technology for connectivity.

Conclusion

There is a great deal of innovation happening in the effort to bring connectivity to underserved populations. Of course the goal is not the connectivity itself, but the resulting benefits that come to populations once they are connected to each other in new ways. Finding commodity prices helps protect African farmers from exploitation. Having the most recent health data helps healthcare professionals keep epidemics in check. Connectivity, along with affordable computing, can transform people's lives in ways that were not possible even a decade ago.

More Resources

The Digital Dividends Clearinghouse can be searched by 'Enabling Technology' under the 'Activites' link... Search here

Techies interested in connectivity will enjoy "DakNet: Rethinking Connectivity in Developing Nations," a paper published in IEEE Computer Outlook, Jan 2004 (450KB Adode Acrobat .pdf.) (Courtesy of First Mile Solutions)

The IDRC has an excellent African VSAT case study, while their Acacia Initiative has some well-done African Connectivity maps.