Asynchronous Internet for olpc Schools
In my dissertation at Furtwangen University, I dealt with the issue on how to provide internet services and content for remote rural schools where no regular internet connection is available, or feasible.
The OLPC organization is currently deploying 1000´s of low-cost laptops to schools in Latin America to improve education and foster construcive learning. Without any access to the information society however, the project is lagging behind its own goals.
My solution is a based on a wireless, vehicle-based system, e.g. a laptop-equipped school bus that delivers regularly updated content to remote areas. The system is capable of delivering websites, email, and even search requests.
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Further information on the OLPC Project:
E-Oasis
The basic idea of this project is, as the metaphor suggests, providing electronic
services and content in environments that lack sufficient data links to the outside world.
The eOasis itself is basically a back end-server that provides tailored services and content for a local network, such as a "Offline Wikipedia" and other libraries, internal Email, Messenger, a FTP-Server and Asynchronous Internet content where smallband connection is available.
As Application Developer, am was working for GTZ International Services in Ethiopia on the User Interface and Backend-Services of this product.
The eOasis is scheduled to be deployed at universities and other institutions throughout Ethiopia.