[governance] Re: Access Challenges: Internet Governance

Wed Feb 8 10:50:28 EST 2012

The closest we get to is the localized solution what we call in the
local market as Home Brewed UPS that has a conversion unit and two car
batteries attached to it:

http://www.systek.com.pk/

When I am back home, I will try to buy one of these UPS in the coming
months but the challenge is how to acquire solar batteries to charge
the batteries even when there isn't electricity for like 4 hours and
the unit wouldn't be able to get charged.

I still have to check prices with them but its an investment of $750
and the batteries may have to be changed every year.

Best

Fouad

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 11:25 PM, Deirdre Williams
<williams.deirdre at gmail.com> wrote:
> One of the issues with these problems would seem to be the inability of some
> (perhaps many) people in the developed world to comprehend the challenge.
>
> Here in Saint Lucia I must say we seem to be fairly lucky, although the
> weather can change that situation rather rapidly. However I particularly
> remember a message on the GKD list, several years ago now, posted by an
> ecstatically happy person who had managed to rig up a generator powered by a
> stationary bicycle (someone had to pedal it of course) and so run a computer
> for the village. A reply came almost immediately from someone - I think in
> the United States, but certainly in the economic 'North' - who deplored the
> demeaning and unnecessary use of human labour and proposed an alternative
> like solar cells.
>
> In the 'South' we learn to manage with what we have. There is an almost
> unbridgeable comprehension gap - a perspective/perception divide - between
> those who can take things (like an electricity supply) for granted and those
> who can't.
>
> Certainly this is an area which could be given a little more attention.
>
> Deirdre
>
> On 2 February 2012 17:50, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro
> <salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>>
>> These are excerpts from another thread that is related to Access.
>>
>>
>>
>> " I know well that some - far away - people just cannot understand what it
>> actually means not to have regular electricity.
>>
>> Just to share a memory: when I operated the only ISP in Cambodia early
>> 1994 to mid 1997, this was my electricity supply for the system, which I put
>> together from what I could find on the local market:
>>
>> Japanese 24 Volt DC truck battery
>> Thai charger from 220 AC when we had public electricity supply
>>
>> US inverter 24 V DC to 110 V AC (specially imported)
>>
>> Vietnamese transformer 110 V AC to 220 V AC
>> home grown 220 V AC - mostly enough capacity, but not always - until the
>> public electricity started again
>>
>> Sorry, a bit off list - but it is a plea to all who do not have regular
>> electricity disruptions, to understand what different economic/technological
>> conditions can mean."
>>
>>
>> Norbert Klein
>>
>>
>>
>> "I had the privilege to visit our dear compa Norbert in Phnom Penh around
>> that time and testify to the incredible magic he managed to make with
>> those disparate electrical parts to keep the system alive."
>>
>>
>> Carlos Afonso
>>
>>
>>
>> yes the issues are complex. The prices of such devices especially when
>> the economy is totally in the dirt makes it really hard to manage the
>> kitchen and invest in such solutions. Lets hope for the best. They
>> also shot up the oil prices last night and things are just beyond
>> control......we are an immature democracy but the governance doesn't
>> seem to get its act straight even after completing almost 4 years of
>> government.
>>
>>
>> Fouad Bajwa
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 6:45 AM, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro
>> <salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear All,
>>>
>>> Fouad and Norbert raised an often overlooked and important issue in
>>> relation to challenges with Access to the Internet. Over the years we have
>>> seen countries around the world offering broadband stimulus in their
>>> respective countries, refine policies etc to address the issue of the
>>> demand.
>>>
>>> In the developing world or emerging markets, there are interesting
>>> challenges that beset these countries. When natural disasters happen such as
>>>  the tsunami in American Samoa, the local telcos were not able to handle the
>>> volume of calls in and out etc. There was some access to the internet that
>>> allowed the world to know of their plight. Similarly when Haiti was beset by
>>> the earthquake, it  destroyed infrastructure as well. Considering the recent
>>> tsunami in Japan and how it cost them $300billion in damages. Thing of
>>> developed countries that face similar devastation.
>>>
>>> There are many countries that struggle with energy grid and we know that
>>> to have proper infrastructure one needs energy to drive this aside from
>>> transportation. In a country in the Pacific where not too long ago they had
>>> just discovered people where mortality rates were extremely low etc. Cutting
>>> roads through some of the terrain in PNG is challenging and most Telcos
>>> build by transporting equipment through helicopters etc. The additional
>>> challenges are land conflicts which can retard development. Whilst
>>> Governments are addressing this through policies, it remains a challenge.
>>>
>>> As the bandwidth consumption is forecasted to grow and clear product
>>> lines from Vendors will evolve to be more efficient, developing countries
>>> face another challenge being on the receiving end of inefficient products
>>> thus perpetuating the cycle of inefficiency. Whilst there are standards and
>>> trade laws in place, affordability is a critical issue.
>>>
>>> Another challenge is preparing ISP Networks to transition to IPv6 and it
>>> is good to see how some European countries have encouraged IPv6 Transition
>>> through procument policies etc.
>>>
>>> The IGF has and continues to be an excellent model in sharing lessons and
>>> experiences and it is always great to see how countries grow their broadband
>>> networks, the types of stimuli that they offered, the mistakes that they
>>> made.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>>>
>>> Tweeter: @SalanietaT
>>> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
>>> Cell: +679 998 2851
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>>
>> Tweeter: @SalanietaT
>> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
>> Cell: +679 998 2851
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> “The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William
> Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
>
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-- 
Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

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