[governance] Effects of lack of electricity on the digital divide

[McTim]

On 7/22/07, kwasi boakye-akyeampong <kboakye1 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Folks,
> I share with you below an interesting piece i just read:
> http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=127357
> Can we effectively close the digital gap when most parts of the developing
> world are still struggling with electricity to power ICT systems?

The answer is clearly yes, the ISPs I work with have been doing it in
Uganda for a decade.

Relying on grid power is a losing proposition in much of the world.
You need to use a system that stabilises power (if you have grid,
solar or wind work a treat if you don't), then charge battery banks,
which then run your low power Internet and computing kit.

If you are a telco, you typically use gen sets to provide power to
your remote sites, with the fuel and maintenance costs being part of
the reason mobile telephony costs are what they are.

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
$ whois -h whois.afrinic.net mctim
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