More than 7 years ago, the World Bank funded what was supposed to be an 18 month long project to bring internet connectivity to Afghanistan. Finally, just this June, the hundred million dollar project made its first international link....and it very far from being complete or even remotely functional.
Meanwhile, an organization which calls itself the Jalalabad Fab Fi Network has created a functioning and fast growing international internet network out of recycled garbage from the World bank Project, on pennies for the dollar.....
The object in the picture above is a fuly functional makeshift satellite reflector. It was made out of pieces of board, wire, a plastic tub and ironically enough, USAID Vegetable oil cans.
If you understand this stuff, t the reflector links up just shy of -71dBm at about 1km, giving it a gain of somewhere between 5 and 6dBi. With a little tweaking and a true parabolic shape, it could easily be as powerful as the small FabFi pictured above (which is roughly 8-10dBi depending on materials)
These guys are self funded volunteers from all over the world and deserve reconition and perhaps funding if you are so inclined. They design the systems and make them work.
3 comments:
Hi how are you?
I was looking through your blog, and I found it interesting, and inspiring to me, so I thought why not leave you a comment.
I have a blog also obviously and would like to invite you to become my blog friend.
I mostly post about the Southern California experience through the perspective of my art.
Maybe you can become my pal, and follow, and I can also follow you, if that is okay.
Well I hope to hear from you soon... :)
Jesse, I'm just a salmon swimming upstream...
The only rule I obey is GO AGAINST THE FLOW!
The simplicity of something so 'complex' that the World Bank cannot comprehend.
Do the Afghans not understand the parabola? Surely they have enough gravel lying around to heap it into the parabola shape and then pound the metal over it.
Thanks for the techie-talk because it is over my head and pay grade.
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