Tag Archives: outdoor wireless computer network
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LIRNEasia research picked up by ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT
Sri Lanka: Cutting it
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT
In the world’s poorer countries, the purchase of a mobile phone has become increasingly affordable. Using it, however, can still be a struggle. Low-income mobile phone owners in Sri Lanka are getting around this problem with a novel method for keeping costs down.
Known as ring cutting, mobile phone subscribers rely on ring tones to communicate with others, rather than actually staying on the line to talk. By a pre-arranged signal that will convey the desired message – “two rings means I’m home” – callers negate the need for a conversation. They simply hang up as soon as the number of tones are finished. The recipients’ phone log records the number of the person who dialled, and at what time. They can choose to call back, or not.
Village with a mesh network, but not a single telephone
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 ..read more
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