OT: Novel uses for old hardware?

Sun Aug 29 01:36:51 UTC 2004

Joe Abley wrote:
> Your six-year-old antiques might be perfectly fine production gear for 
> operators in other parts of the world. I would be trying to find a way 
> to ship them cheaply to South Asia or Africa (or finding some other 
> organisation that already works in those regions who would know how to 
> distribute it).

Like for example the man who presented at the recent SANOG about a 
wireless network for yak farmers and villagers in remote parts of Nepal.

He's got that entire wireless network running off solar antennas and 
connected over a single dialup - providing services (bbs, email) to a 
few hundred users, all of them yak herders, farmers etc.

http://since1968.com/article/50/nepal-wireless

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3744075.stm

He could sure use any gear at all that NANOGers have to spare .. and 
could also use donations of (say) satellite connectivity if someone can 
spare a VSAT link to replace the dialup that he's currently using to 
serve these guys out of.

	suresh