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Peru announced that all its poorest residents would be hooked up to full solar power. In the end, a huge amount of money was spent and a couple hundred houses w
by droithomme 11y ago
Peru announced that all its poorest residents would be hooked up to full solar power. In the end, a huge amount of money was spent and a couple hundred houses were hooked up to very low wattage systems shared by entire villages.
India announced they were going to produce a $15 computer for the masses of poor. Well we now have $15 computers, but not from this program, and India still is lacking stable electricity, clean water, and other basics throughout much of the nation.
"The Philippines is planning free Wi-Fi services to half of its towns and cities this year and nationwide coverage by end-2016"
So the claim being made is half the towns and cities by this year, 2015, within a few months. And total coverage by next year.
Most of the land area of the Philippines is remote and rural. Much is mountainous. It would be a remarkable engineering project to have total wifi coverage through the entire country by 2016. Accomplishing it with $32 million in funding would be especially amazing.
The chance that this will happen I estimate at 0%. The chance of a modest amount of coverage in certain neighborhoods of larger cities is good. Total coverage by next year isn't going to happen, isn't going to ever happen for the cited price, and the data point that it is being claimed it will happen by next year shows that those in charge of this program don't understand the problem, which means that the actually doable claims (coverage for 50% of all towns and cities by December 2015) are questionable as well.
- herbig 11y agoNot only would it be a remarkable engineering feat, but just getting this through the institutionalized government corruption with enough money left over to finish the project would be the largest hurdle. I'm also incredibly skeptical of this.
- funkyy 11y agoTo be honest I would propose even simpler approach: offer free high speed Wi-Fi in every library. Connect every library in the country to high speed fiber and make libraries relevant in digital world again. Since libraries are usually spread evenly around the country I believe this would serve better purpose than setting unrealistic targets.
- witty_username 11y agoWell, at least in India there aren't tons of public libraries, so I don't think it should be only libraries.
- funkyy 11y agoObviously libraries would be a starting point. Then connecting schools and public spaces would be next. You need to start somewhere.
- thawkins 11y agoThat is exactly the plan here, its not free wifi coverage everywhere, its free coverage near schools, libraries, public buildings. Anywhere a dsl connection can be routed to. Note also that 2016 is an election year, many many wild ass claims are being made. I live in the philippines.
- jackjeff 11y agoYou don't have a network of free public libraries in the Philippines...
- davewasthere 11y agoThere are, however, a lot of churches. :)
- elcct 11y agoHow about high speed WiFi in the jungles? Animals could carry WiFi transmitters that could also be powered from the animals movement...
- smileysteve 11y agoWifiCat
- strictnein 11y agoAnother little issue: the country is made up of over 7100 islands.
- nbevans 11y agoSo 7,100 wifi APs then? Simples ;)