Message-ID: <01BD321B.5EEF78A0@134.vita.org> Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 09:49:35 -0500 From: Gary Garriott <mailto:garyg@VITA.ORG> Subject: Hot off the presses! To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
------ =_NextPart_000_01BD321B.5EF8A060 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bitColleagues:
Given the current thread of the discussion regarding IT and development, I thought this could be of interest.
Best regards,
Gary Garriott Director Informatics VITA ------ =_NextPart_000_01BD321B.5EF8A060 Content-Type: text/plain; name="systempr.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 3, 1998 Joe = Sedlak, VITA - 703/276-1800 Roye Bourke, SatelLife - 617/789-5955
SATELLIFE AND VITA PLAN NEW DEVELOPING COUNTRY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
Boston, MA, Arlington, VA. Dr. Bernard Lown, Chairman and Founder of = SatelLife, and Henry Norman, President of Volunteers in Technical = Assistance (VITA) announced today an agreement to collaborate in = creating a global email system dedicated to humanitarian and development = purposes. The proposed system will combine the use of HealthSat II and = VITAsat as well as gateways to the Internet located at the extreme north = and south of the globe. Both low earth orbiting satellites will be part = of a system that will eventually include five to twelve satellites.=20
Both non profit organizations agreed to work together to form a = coalition of other organizations that own satellite capacity and are = willing to permit use of their unused capacity for humanitarian and = development activities in the developing world. All organizations would = remain independent and the program would be carried out through = cooperative agreements rather than the creation of a new entity with its = own bureaucracy. Norman said, "several American and European = organizations have already indicated a desire to participate."
HealthSat II is a component of SatelLife's unique communications system = called HealthNet, which has played an important role in combating = information poverty and isolation among health care professionals in = developing countries. SatelLife utilizes its system for the = dessimination and exchange of relevant health-related information.=20
VITA, which has provided technical information to requesters for forty = years, pioneered the non-military use of LEOs and was awarded a = Pioneer's Preference by the Federal Communications Commission in 1994. = The latest VITASat was launched last September from Russia.
VITA and SatelLife have agreed that the two organizations will petition = the FCC to permit VITA to share its operational license with SatelLife.=20
A parallel initiative is being mounted by VITA and the European = non-governmental organization (NGO) TOOL to create a coalition of NGOs = and other nonprofit organizations. The NGOs engaged in humanitarian and = development activities in the developing world will have priority use of = the system in exchange for their assistance to indigenous organizations = in developing information technology skills.
Dr. Lown and Mr. Norman agreed that realizing the goals of their = collaboration face many political, regulatory, financial and = organizational hurdles. Details of the joint effort remain to be worked = out and then approved by the governing bodies of both groups as well as = those of the others who will join the coalition.=20
The design of a ground station that can communicate with many different = satellites and yet is inexpensive is critical to the success of this = venture. Licensing users in countries where telecommunications is still = a monopoly will be also challenging. Raising funds and obtaining = equipment will require energy and dedication.
Despite these challenges, both Lown and Norman expressed confidence that = the clear need for reliable low cost communications in remote areas of = the developing world would help them convince others to join them in the = essential effort to overcome the obstacles to developing country = communications. Lown and Norman state that "poor communications is a = major obstacle to bringing people in remote areas of the developing = countries into the mainstream of development. Several studies indicate = that improvement in communications has a demonstrable impact on the = improvement of the lives of people. We commit our two organizations to = work together to achieve that goal."
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