The wireless school connectivity project... a concrete outcome

frederic — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:22:10 -0300

HARARE (Muroro Dziruni for Connect Africa) -

The wireless school connectivity project is an initiative that has connected a secondary school in a poor township of Harare to the internet, using wireless technologies. The genesis of this project was a result of the wireless skills training workshop, which took place in Pretoria, South Africa in 2005 and was facilitated by APC. Muroro Dziruni of Connect Africa in Zimbabwe tells the story of how wireless technology can work in Africa, when everyone joins in and cooperates.

Mobile phones and poverty reduction: Can this shortcut work in Latin America?

frederic — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:54:59 -0300

MONTEVIDEO (Natalia Uval for APCNews) -

Mobile phones can be the way into the information society for lower income people and less developed regions. Some structural factors help: mobile phones do not require either electricity or special training and the costs of connectivity are much lower than those of landline telephones.

Grants for capacity in wireless networks: And the winners are...

webmaster — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:00:00 -0300

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY (WiLAC) -

The first regional workshop on capacity building in community wireless networking will take place between July 16 and 21 in the Huaral City of Peru. Organised by APC members, APC and partners, 29 people – ten of which are women – from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia will meet with the objective of extending the community wireless connectivity model to the Andean zone. Their names have recently been announced.

The sky’s the limit: new wireless connection record - 382 kilometres

webmaster — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:00:00 -0300

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY (AL for APCNews) -

“This is a technology that works, a proven technology, and what it needs is a bit more promotion,” said Ermanno Pietrosemoli just days after reaching a new wireless connection record of 382 kilometres. The president of Venezuelan APC member EsLaRed spoke with APCNews by conference call about this low-cost solution that is impacting the world’s rural communities.

We killed the previous business models that tried to charge for WiFi

webmaster — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:00:00 -0300

MONTREAL, CANADA (FD for APCNews) -

With about 90 active volunteers over the years, Île Sans Fil now has managed to install some 130 hotspots all around town, using a nice piece of software. Wifidog is an open source solution designed primarily for wireless community groups, it is now in use in more than 36 locations, including at the municipality of Rosario (Argentina), the Tegucigalpa technical university (Honduras) or the Hull libraries (United Kingdom). Can Wifidog work in the developing world? Interview with the key figure of the group, Michael Lenczner.

WIRELESS SURVEY: 53% of participants installed a wireless network

webmaster — Thu, 24 May 2007 01:00:00 -0300

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (FD for APCNews) -

Fifty-three percent of participants to wireless internet trainings in Africa have installed one or more wireless networks since the training. This is what a survey about the impact of the APC-led ‘Capacity Building for Community Wireless Connectivity in Africa’ project reveals.

Fresh air and free networks in Denmark

webmaster — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0300

BERLIN, GERMANY (FD for APCNews) -

The Djurslands International Institute of Rural Wireless Broadband (DIIRWB) is not joking about free information infrastructures. Its advocates study and plan projects, and then go out in the open field to help to start up wireless networks. But before antennas are glued to barns and receivers taped to posts, summer camp participants convened in rural Denmark for some fresh air. APCNews talked to one of them.

APC’s new “Community Wireless Connectivity” project: Starting work in Africa

webmaster — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:00:00 -0300

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (Anna Feldman) -

APC’s latest initiative is looking to connect communities who don’t yet have internet access by skilling them to build their own wireless networks. The project covers the development of training materials in English, French and Arabic and workshops that will be adapted for different environmental, regulatory and climatic conditions. With four regional workshops in Africa in 2005, we’ll be training up to 100 possible future trainers. Plans are also afoot in Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Building human networks without wires: First community wireless workshop in East Africa

webmaster — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:00:00 -0300

MTONI, ZANZIBAR (Anna Feldman) -

Most internet access relies on the availability of a reliable fixed telephone line and that can be a struggle to find in many parts of rural Africa. Wireless technology can by-pass the fixed-line problem. APC’s Anna Feldman has just returned from a wireless training workshop on Zanzibar where thirty five trainees learned how to set up their own connections and eventually – using antennas made out of recycled tin cans – were able to wirelessly connect an atol two kilometres across the sea from the workshop venue.