Slides from a talk I gave last week to the IFLA Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) event in Cape Town. Covers the state of access in South Africa and the Village Telco project

1. The
Importance
of
Being
Connected
Steve Song
Telecommunications
Fellow
Shuttleworth Foundation
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

2. Shuttleworth Foundation
Goals
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

3. Why voice and
data?
A tide that raises all ships
 the power to transcend
space and time
 a general purpose enabler
 the immediacy of ideas
 the location of innovation
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hint-of-plum/

4. www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

5. www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

6. www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

7. Telecoms:
The Cardiovascular System
of the
Knowledge Economy
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

8. Quake Catcher Network
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

9. www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

10. But in Africa...
 In relative terms SA
is falling behind
 Costs still higher
than neighbouring
countries
 There is a need for
a shared vision
among industry,
government, and
consumers
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

11. Telecommunications
Telecom Policy
Connected
Cities
Democratisation
of Access
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

12. The Democratisation of
Telecom Infrastructure
Telephone
Infrastructure = “connect out”
Internet
Infrastructure = “connect in”
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

13. cheap
off-the-shelf
broadband
technology
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

14. Open Source Software
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

15. www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

16. Dabba.co.za
an initiative to assemble/develop the cheapest, easiest to
setup, easiest to manage, scalable, Open Source,
standards-based, wireless local do-it-yourself telephone
company toolkit in the world.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

17. Dabba.co.za
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

18. Business Model
So what can you build
for $5000?
And could you break
even in 6 months?
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

19. Village Telco - Beta
Server Primary Access 40 Mesh Potatoes
Point
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

20. The Mesh Potato
Projected Cost: USD 60 per unit
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

21. Prototypical Village Telco
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

22. Village Telco
Orange
Farm Khayalitsha
VTelco VTelco
upstream Village
provider Telco
Open Source
Internet Project
Solutions
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

23. Photo Credits – CC
Mosquito
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gyuvallos/71410563/sizes/o/
Street dug up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swissdave/2590610314/sizes/o/
Street Fibre
http://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/665366/sizes/o/in/set-17044/
High Wires
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangeyouhappy/2174454854/sizes/l/
Cardiovascular System
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrlynch/
Hand with phone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2736565604/sizes/l/
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org

24. Thanks!
Steve Song
steve.song@shuttleworthfoundation.org
skype: steve_l_song
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org