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ImprovingQuality of Life

inRemote Areas

SPC 3rd September 2008Presenter: Ian Thomson

Initiatives from www.pacificip.com& http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Home

ImplimentingThe Pacific Digital StrategyICT is recognised as a key tool to meet the MDGs and

hence improve the quality of life

The Goal is ICT for EVERY Pacific Islander

The Digital Strategy calls for better access for rural areas and remote islands to– Connect to the Knowledge Economy– Provide better services, e.g. education, health, emergency

RICS and OLPC are ideally suited to achieve a better Quality of Life for rural and remote islands

What is RICSRural Internet ConnectivitySystem

Launched early 2008 with Aus Aid funding

î Earth station in Hawaiiî Pre purchased satellite bandwidthî 16 Pilots, 100 “Public Good” sites, Commercial sitesî Pilots fully funded, inc VSAT, power, IT Network, operatorî Public good sites funded bandwidth to end 2009î Commercial sites deal directly with Pacific Teleports at bulk

ratesî SPC to promote RICS and prove sustainability

Costs ?VSAT Prices - CAPEX (end-user)

The SkyEdge VSAT terminal allowing analog voice and IPservices is very competitively priced.

The complete rural site (without solar) is priced at approx. USD 2,700 – 4,600 USD per site. (Less with bulk purchase)

The solar systems (if required) can be bought from your localsupplier, the power requirement is 25W at 12 Volts.

Costs ?Operational Expenditure - OPEX (end-user)

î Monthly fee for Satellite access and Data throughput. î Higher the guaranteed data-rate, the higher the cost. î Can be shared by many users, e.g. School, Health Centre,

Telecentre, homes, other villages.

IP Access examples :Rural Basic Access - 16 kbits CIR duplex, burstable to 128k

Approx. monthly cost USD 120-150

Small Business Access - 88 kbits CIR duplex, burstable to 256k Approx. monthly cost USD 250-300

PRO Business Access – 156kbits CIR duplex, burstable to 512k Approx. monthly cost USD 450

Remember, these are “always on” services, comparable to ADSL.

Other servicesTV and Radio Broadcasts via SkyEdge

î Transmission of a Radio/TV program via the HUB designed for educational purposes to all or selected VSAT sites

î The VSAT receives the Audio Stream and converts it to analog audio which then can be automatically broadcasted via low cost FM transmitters

î Similar for TVî Immediate Access to all sites, all over the

Pacificî Emergency / Disaster Situations

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Other ServicesRural GSM solution

î GSM in a Box solutionî Low cost Local Radio Base stationî 30Kg, 300W power, pole mountedî Can cluster sites

î Local switching of callsî Stand alone or Connects to Mobile switch via VSAT

î Offers local ownership possibility

î 10-20 Klm coverageî $20-40K cost

î Potential for emergency response (especially with RICS)

OLPC (One Laptop per Child)

î A winning double for rural Educationî RICS provides the connectionî OLPC is the affordable tool to use it

î Will greatly improve education

î Better resourcesî Better teacher trainingî More relevant skills for children

î For 12 schools 1,500 children

î OLPC costs approx 400,000 USD

OLPC Initiative – MIT Media Labs

• One Laptop Per Child– Every child deserves a laptop

• An Education improvement project• Flexible, low cost, durable, power

efficient• Priority for children in developing

countries• This is not a low cost business

computer• It is a purpose built, child education

tool

OLPC Initiative – Costs and Goal

• $ 100 - $ 200 / laptop, state of the art design and technology

• An Education improvement project • OLPC XO – Connection to the world

– Information, training, resources• OLPC XO - a tool to develop skills

that are relevant for today’s world• Learning by doing and collaboration• 150 educational “activities”• Adapted to local languages• Easily adapted to curriculum

OLPC Oceania Initiative

• Leaders meeting in Tonga authorised trails

• OLPC gifted 5,000 laptops• Minimum 50 laptops per country• Projects started in PNG,

Solomons, Nauru, Niue and Vanuatu

• Strong interest from many other countries, Samoa, Cooks, Kiribati, Tuvalu, FSM, Marshals, Tonga– Most are RICS/OLPC rural schools

• SPC assisting projects• Evaluation on all projects

OLPC Oceania Goals

• Deploy 5,000 Gifted laptops by end of 2008

• 1.7M Pacific Children with laptops by 2015

• Improve Education to provide– Access to up to date resources for

teachers and children– Modern skills for children– Training for teachers– Evaluation of projects– Develop Regional support for

program– Facilitate funding for projects

• Details at wiki.laptop.org/go/oceania

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Marovo Lagoon Solomons