empowering the poor through rural information centers building sustainable remote connectivity and...
TRANSCRIPT
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Building Sustainable Remote Connectivity and Information Services Using LEO Satellite
Technology
George ScharffenbergerVolunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA)
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
• LEO = Low Earth Orbiting• Non-geostationary• Lower cost to build, launch, operate• Provide asynchronous, “store-and-forward”
connectivity/messaging services• Pick up and drop off messages 3-6 times per day• New technology (developed by Wavix) allows for
larger messages
LEO Satellites
Internet
SatelliteTrack
WavixDataCenter
Gateway
Gateway
SatelliteTrack
Remote UserGroundstation
Correspondent
SatelliteTrack
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITAConnectSystem Console
Additional VITAConnectSystem Consoles
connected via USBport in ground terminal
VITA Sat
WavixData
CenterVITA Info
Portal
The Internet
Email to web gateway
RemoteGroundTerminal
Emailrecipient
http, smtp/POP3
PacSat overAX.25
http
http
Other Internet
users
httpemail
PacSat overAX.25
Wavix Earth
Station
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITA-Connect• Connectivity and Information Services using
LEO Satellites• Partnership between VITA(NGO) and
Wavix(for-profit)• VITA:
– licenses– humanitarian/development users– development-related information services
• Wavix:– technology/operations– commercial users
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITA-Connect Advantages• Relatively low cost hardware/software
investment ($3,000)• Extremely low recurring costs ($500/yr)• Plug-n-Play simplicity• Dedicated, high-value information services• Low power consumption • Transportability• Value-added opportunities to combine with
other technologies (ex. WorldSpace)
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITA-Connect Terminal
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITA-Connect Disadvantages
• Initial hardware cost
• Low throughput
• Delay of asynchronous, “store-and-forward” system
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
VITA-Connect is ideal for:• Remote locations where there are no other
economically viable connectivity options• Relatively low throughput/high value needs
that do not require voice or “real time” connection
• Email-based applications• HTML/form-based applications• Text-based, data applications• Automated data collection systems
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Sample Applications• e-government: information, form-based
services (registrations, reporting, requests), election reporting, human rights monitoring, security
• education: curriculum distribution, teacher training, distributed education
• health: epidemiological reporting, tele-health, continuing education
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Sample Applications (con’t)
• small enterprise/micro-finance: training, price reporting, marketing, sourcing, remote technical assistance, financial reporting, loan processing
• environment/conservation: manned and unmanned monitoring; logistics
• Project/organizational management: logistics, reporting, networking, training
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Empowering the Poor throughRural Information Centers
Thank you
www.vita-connect.org