Voice over Wireless in Laos
Glenn Fleishman notes a story over at NetworkWorldFusion:
VoIP unwired
Converged voice/data network projects can be tough, especially if you can't use any wires. That's what Mike Burns, a systems integrator, discovered when a client asked him to provide voice and data services to a gold-mining operation in the middle of a Laotian jungle. Burns faced a sticky situation - literally.
It's another example of how wireless networks can solve problems in the developing world, that noone ever envisioned when designing the standards. The flexibility, opportunity for organic growth of networks, and fairly simple maintenance often means that these networks have even greater advantages in difficult environments in the developing world than they do here in western europe.
After all, here in Denmark, most of us have broadband anyway. There's fiber all over the place, and redundant copper into every little squat. And we have the money and skills to maintain complex fiber networks. In Laos, Ghana, Nepal or similar the situation is different.
And voice is probably the killer app for these places. Yes VoIP is interesting here in Denmark. It makes for cheaper telephony for everyone. But it's not really crucial, because we have an alternative that is generally speaking well within affordability for everyone. In places like Laos and Ghana there often as not isn't an alternative.
Combine wireless and voice and you have something that is useful all over the world.
It's something we're gambling rather heavily on here at
