7th of September 2004 - Lokalvisen Middjurs - Noerre Djurs (translated by Henrik Hoffgaard and Ingo Rau)
TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Glesborg - It is the future orientated people who - with a huge load of hardware and modern technology - have invaded Glesborg. And even if the jargon can make the relativeley technophobic average dane „hot around the ears“ there are also echoes of old battle cries like freedom, equality and brotherhood.
The one thing that is shared among all the people who this weekend have brought their laptop and sleeping bag to Glesborg is their vision that all should have access to the internet regardless whether you live in the city or in the country, in the industrialized world or in a developing country. There should be free and equal access to information and all should have equal opportunitiy to use the modern communication technology.
It’s fundamentally the same problem one is facing in many parts of the world: For the commercial telcos it’s not financially viable to bring internet access if there is too much distance between the users. Therefore in many places one is facing the situation that there is only a working IT infrastructure in the cities while the rural districts are left to themseves when it comes to fast and cheap access to the internet. At the same time these areas are also often overlooked in other aspects and are becoming more and more isolated from the rest of the world because of bad traffic connections, poorly functioning schools and health service and a lack of employment oppurtunities - and that creates social and economical inequality in a world that theoretically should be more and more interconnected. Because the technology for global information- and communication exchange is there and has been for many many years.
But where there is no political or economical will to bring broadband connections to the least populated areas is where the free non-commercial grassroot movements step into the picture. Even though in a global perspective Djursland is not a poor area the definition of the problem is similar to that of Nepal, India, Africa and even rural districts in the US. Over the last few years Djurslands.net has proven that it’s possible to create an IT infrastructure that will reach all the way out to even the remotest areas and at the same time making it so cheap that anyone can afford to pay for it. The network also builds on a technology which is easy to use and to advantage can be spread to the rest of the world. It was this among other topics that the convention participants had come to hear about this weekend.
More aspects of networks
The construction and maintenance of a non-commercial wireless network is not just a question of technology. It is just as much about the people behind it, a point which the chairman of Djurslands.net Bjarke Nielsen put a lot of emphasis on in his welcome speach to the convention. „Djurslands.net is organised around a group of people with a burning passion who have the spirit to keep going and going in pursuit of a vision and who can inspire and share their knowledge with others. Starting from the ‚Boevl environment’ (a weekly gathering of people with computer problems) we have by teaching each other created additional selfhelp groups that in turn share their knowledge and inspire so that more selfhelp groups are formed. Our wireless network is based on many many volunteers and to me it is the only way it can be done. It is among other things this organisational model and the idea of help for selfhelp which has made Djurslands.net one of Europe’s biggest free wireless networks. The convention this weekend was also a shining example of knowledge sharing at work. All carried with them different stories and experiences and both the scheduled presentations and the conversations among the participants themselves gave one the sense that people had something to say and were happy to share. Attempts were made to solve problems, contacts were established, new ideas arose and most people returned home with new inspiration and energy and the knowledge that a grassroots network is intact and well working.
FROM NOEREDJURS TO INDIA
Glesborg - Dr. Arun Mehta is a man of great vision. Before 2007 600.000 villages in India should have a connection to the internet via FM receivers. Dr. Arun Mehta has come from New Dehli in India to see how Djurslands.net has accomplished to bring cheap broadband to 1700 househoulds in Djursland. The knowledge gained here he wants to use in his own project the purpose of which it is to establish a radio based wireless network at 600.000 villages in India.
India is a very poor country. And in the rural districts a small FM radio is often the only piece of communication equipment you can afford, says Dr. Arun Mehta. Our idea is to that you are not just able to receive information over the radio but send it too. The villagers who often can neither read nor write, are after a simple introduction able to turn to the outside world with an specific problem - for example regarding farming, education or health. The question is sent out on to the internet and when the answer comes back it is transmitted to the villagers in their own dialect. With relatively few resources using this model you can increase the activity in the rural disctricts and increase the general living standard. Dr. Arun Mehta showed at the conference how one can easily build a small FM transmitter for approximately a tenner (10 DKK) and explained how it is possible with simple means to convert a text to synthetic speach which can than be transmitted over the radio.
The first or the last mile
The wireless networks have shown to have infinite uses and at the same time have the potential to solve some of the problems people are struggling with in the third world’s countries - problems like isolation, poorly functioning schools, health services and more - because the access to information enables the rural population to help themselves.
The traditional telcos use the expression „last mile“ when referring to the difficulties of covering the least populated areas. Many grassroot movements have for a long time been making the point that the definition of the problem should be the other way around. The last mile should be the first. In underdeveloped countries it’s especially important that rural districts who are often also cut off from the rest of the world in many other ways have access to information for example for use in schools and the health services. Socioeconomically there is a lot to gain by making the last mile the first. And when the first mile is done the rest will take care of itself.