rapa
11-08-2006, 06:40 PM
Sri Lanka's first outdoor wireless computer network is now up and
running.
Surprisingly, it is not in Colombo. It is not even in any of the
other key places. It was installed in Mahavilachchiya, a little
known village, 40 km from the nearest town Anuradhapura, and
surrounded three sides by the Vilpattu jungle.
Most of the villagers are either farmers or labourers with a monthly
income of about Rs. 5,000 - 10,000 (US$ 50 - 100). Though there is
electricity, it is not yet covered by any of the terrestrial or
mobile phone networks. This means there is not a single telephone in
this village.
On the other hand, Mahavilachchiya has more than 50 PCs and a
sophisticated multimedia lab. Majority of the computers are at the
houses of the children, who in addition to use them for their
studies, design web sites of some of the foreign companies. These
PCs are now connected by using the "Mesh Wireless technology" which
gives them direct Internet and E-mail facilities.
Wireless was the only approach that could be used, as there were no
telephone lines the distribution of the houses makes a wired network
set up too expensive.
The Mesh Network was inaugurated by Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary
to the President of Sri Lanka, in a function which was purposely
kept low profile due to the security situation of the country.
Please see the pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/94974078@N00/
and http://www.flickr.com/photos/83699560@N00/
This project was funded by PanAsia R&D Grants programme and
implemented with the assitance of the Information and Communication
Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka.
running.
Surprisingly, it is not in Colombo. It is not even in any of the
other key places. It was installed in Mahavilachchiya, a little
known village, 40 km from the nearest town Anuradhapura, and
surrounded three sides by the Vilpattu jungle.
Most of the villagers are either farmers or labourers with a monthly
income of about Rs. 5,000 - 10,000 (US$ 50 - 100). Though there is
electricity, it is not yet covered by any of the terrestrial or
mobile phone networks. This means there is not a single telephone in
this village.
On the other hand, Mahavilachchiya has more than 50 PCs and a
sophisticated multimedia lab. Majority of the computers are at the
houses of the children, who in addition to use them for their
studies, design web sites of some of the foreign companies. These
PCs are now connected by using the "Mesh Wireless technology" which
gives them direct Internet and E-mail facilities.
Wireless was the only approach that could be used, as there were no
telephone lines the distribution of the houses makes a wired network
set up too expensive.
The Mesh Network was inaugurated by Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary
to the President of Sri Lanka, in a function which was purposely
kept low profile due to the security situation of the country.
Please see the pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/94974078@N00/
and http://www.flickr.com/photos/83699560@N00/
This project was funded by PanAsia R&D Grants programme and
implemented with the assitance of the Information and Communication
Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka.