WiFi powered by solar energy

Written on my laptop while waiting for a taxi in Miri, Borneo and posted over the wired broadband access included in my hotel room rate.

I am always looking for nice stories on how new digital technologies are changing the way we live, especially if it is for the better. This story is good because it links in to another interest of mine, small scale or micro generation of renewable energy.

A company called Green WiFi is launching a "green WiFi" project in three schools in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The work which is being undertaken for a Canadian aid organization, will include installing a solar-powered WiFi network in the schools. They are using a solar powered and battery-powered router, in each of the nodes of the WiFi network. The nodes are mounted on roof tops of the schools. They are going down the solar powered route as the electricity supply is unreliable. One of the schools has a cable connection for the internet access.

They have had to overcome some interesting technology and cost constraints to build their nodes, which have to be able to keep working during the less sunny monsoon periods. You can read more about the project here and here.

Green WiFi seems like an interesting company. There are approximately three billion people under the age of 15 living in developing nations. Many of the countries where these three billion kids live have little access to electricity, but a lot of sun light. Green WiFi aims to bring these children access to the world's information.