Power over ethernet (PoE) and a Rural Smart Grid

At AirJaldi's rural wireless networks in the Himalayas, all routers have PoE or Power over Ethernet supplying their power needs. PoE technology uses the same regular ethernet cable you may use at home, and then sends POWER (electricity) over that cable along with the data. (more about PoE and an $8 implementation.)

This simplifies the wiring of your wireless mesh (no power cords necessary) and provides a way for custom wireless routers to supply power to peripheral devices with embedded PoE converters. In this way, wireless routers can become a power as well as information "hub". Simply applying Occam's Razor to the twin problems of rural electricity and communication, we immediately perceive that supplying them both simultaneously is the most simple solution.

The IEEE standard 802.3at for world-wide use of PoE also enables the creation of complex "smart grid" IP-enabled green electrical networks, which will be highly useful for scalable and "bottom-of-the-pyramid" approaches to Green Energy.

Cognitive mesh trumps repressive governments

Wi-fi mesh is the best choice available, now, for grassroots global connectivity. Even though the mesh is resistant to attack and shut-down, however, it can still be disrupted by large-scale radio frequency interference that floods Wi-Fi's specific operating channels. Similarly, normal interference from other mesh network devices crowding into Wi-Fi's channels can degrade your signal and severely affect the mesh. 

Some of this spectrum interference can be avoided with a combination of directional antennas and modified routing protocols that take a "web of trust" approach to whom can participate in the mesh. But the long-term answer to these concerns is to design your network as a "Cognitive Mesh".

Cognitive Mesh uses "intelligent" router nodes, which can sense which frequencies around it are currently congested or being blocked, and switch the frequency they use accordingly. This technology is very experimental and under world-wide, active research- but it could make large-scale wireless networks very fast, highly reliable, and simultaneously almost impossible to destroy through interference.

This excerpt is from a Dr. Honggang Zhang's laboratory, which researches green wireless technologies and cognitive mesh networks-

"As the radio spectrum usage paradigm moves from the traditional command-and-control allocation scheme to the open spectrum allocation & access scheme, wireless networks meet new opportunities and challenges. Accordingly, we introduce the concept of cognitive wireless mesh networking (CogMesh) and address the unique problems in such a dynamically networking environment. Basically, CogMesh is a self-organized distributed network architecture combining cognitive wireless access technologies (e.g. Cognitive Radio) with the mesh (ad-hoc) structure in order to provide an integrated & converged service platform over a wide range of heterogeneous networks." - Honggang Zhang's laboratory at Zhejiang University

As this description notes, cognitive mesh networks basically combine 2 technologies, Cognitive radio and Wireless Mesh, into a single seamless integration. It is necessary from a commercial perspective, in order to provide very large-scale mesh networks where many people are sharing the same channel frequencies. And it is also necessary to prevent disruption by authoritarian regimes wishing to shut-down free speech and stifle protesters.

Therefore, the use of cognitive mesh networks, particularly cognitive mesh networks with Wi-Fi, is a means by which to create a robust, grassroots technology of direct peer-to-peer communication that cannot be easily shut down by repressive governments.

Blogging from the warzone: implications and strategies for the Global Citizens Movement

One of the most effective, non-violent weapons used again the Burmese military junta was the power of blogging. Since most humans are, by nature, sympathetic to other human suffering, the internet provides a powerful medium to communicate this suffering to the larger world.

Without the media (pictures, video, first-hand testimonials) and the medium (the internet) the message is obscured and more easily manipulated or ignored.

Reporters without Borders has published a useful handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents detailing how to blog from a place on Earth which is tightly censored. It includes things like how to circumvent censors, use proxy servers to disguise your true IP address, and other interesting strategies.

But how do you deal with governments who shut down the entire network? Even the Burmese military was able to shut down the whole system once they realized the effect the bloggers were having on world perception of the protest and crackdown. Again, we must have independently powered and inconspicuous methods for reaching the larger Network. The only option I'm aware of is satellite broadband internet connections. Do you know of a better one? Comment it in.

Barring another option, how can we make satellite broadband connections work on a large scale in a rural environment?

The Problems Waiting to be Solved:

1) Electricity. How do you run these satellites in villages with no regular power?
2) The Platform. How do you link cheap mobile phones, cameras or laptops with the satellite?
3) Cost. Who's paying for the satellites and the peripherals like the platform?
4) Vulnerability. How do you avoid retaliation from the authorities for having a satellite dish?
5) Delivery. How do you get these satellites into the country?

The first three problems are shared by rural education programs, while the last two are unique to repressive governments. Any ideas for solutions or criticisms of the satellite method, let's hear them.