| Linux and other OSS helps connect rural African villages |
Jun. 20, 2005
Inveneo, in collaboration with ActionAid, has brought internet access and VoIP calling capability to four remote villages in Uganda this month. In addition to Linux, KDE, OpenOffice.org, and other open source software (OSS), the first of Inveneo's deployments includes rugged solar- and pedal-powered Communications Stations connected to a central hub.
The existing phone and internet connections at the centrally located Community Knowledge Center for Empowerment and Literacy are extended to the four outlying villages of Nyamiryango, Nyarukamba, Karago, and Kiguma, which have no phone lines and no electricity, through an 802.11 wireless network.
Inveneo has trained ActionAid's IT officer and other local staff in system installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, and ActionAid staff will instruct users on the capabilities and use of the Communications Station.
Each Communications Station features an inexpensive and durable PC with Linux and KDE, OpenOffice.org, and an unspecified web-browser. Also, of course, each station has a telephone. In part because of the open source Asterisk PBX system, villagers can now make and receive calls for the first time --including free calls between the connected villages.
Inveneo is a California-based non-profit corporation. ActionAid is located in the U.K. To learn more about the IT deployment in Uganda, Inveneo, or how to get involved, visit Inveneo's website.
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