Reindeer herding over the internet
March 9, 2003 11:51 AM Subscribe
Providing connectivity to the Saami nomadic community (pdf). The Saami Network Connectivity Project wants to provide wireless internet access for the nomadic Saami reindeer herders of Lapland (Sapmi.) The goal is to provide those Saami who live as herders with email, cached web access, remote schooling for children, and reindeer herd tracking telemetry.
Why isn't there a community project to provide me with wireless internet access during my daily commute? My employer takes care of that while I am herding reind^H^H^H^H^Hdevelopers during work hours, though, so it's not all bad.
Seriously, this sort of news really cheers me up. I find that all too often the latest and greatest in technological innovation is being used squarely to enhance shareholder value of some large megacorporate entity. Without going into the rights or wrongs of it, that's just plain boring... Providing wireless network connectivity to Northern Finland/Sweden natives who deliberately choose traditional occupations and nomadic lifestyles - now that's fun!
posted by blindcarboncopy at 12:23 PM on March 9, 2003
Seriously, this sort of news really cheers me up. I find that all too often the latest and greatest in technological innovation is being used squarely to enhance shareholder value of some large megacorporate entity. Without going into the rights or wrongs of it, that's just plain boring... Providing wireless network connectivity to Northern Finland/Sweden natives who deliberately choose traditional occupations and nomadic lifestyles - now that's fun!
posted by blindcarboncopy at 12:23 PM on March 9, 2003
Does this mean we start getting Donner and Blitzen in hot reindeer games just a click away?
posted by zaelic at 12:25 PM on March 9, 2003
posted by zaelic at 12:25 PM on March 9, 2003
reindeer herd tracking telemetry.
that's the NORAD thing, ain't it?
posted by quonsar at 12:29 PM on March 9, 2003
that's the NORAD thing, ain't it?
posted by quonsar at 12:29 PM on March 9, 2003
Great link, homunculus. :)
How did I guess it was you? :)
posted by plep at 12:31 PM on March 9, 2003
How did I guess it was you? :)
posted by plep at 12:31 PM on March 9, 2003
People have predicted that those countries who have yet to roll out a decent telco infrastructure may leap frog the information advantage held by wired countries (pdf) by starting out with wireless.
Will it take developed nations so long to untangle themselves from the nest of copper they live in that presently unwired countries will ultimately gain an advantage? Would the advantage be long-term?
If yes, then this "revolution" could create new centers of power in the global economy.
posted by tomharpel at 12:44 PM on March 9, 2003
Will it take developed nations so long to untangle themselves from the nest of copper they live in that presently unwired countries will ultimately gain an advantage? Would the advantage be long-term?
If yes, then this "revolution" could create new centers of power in the global economy.
posted by tomharpel at 12:44 PM on March 9, 2003
AT&T, Intel and IBM have formed a company Cometa to install WiFi across the country in more than 20,000 hotspots. My brother may possibly be the VP of Marketing. It would be the largest and most ambitious project of its kind, however with the existing infrastructure of these companies, it is actually a relativly easy project for them to execute. POPs and landline drops and backbone networks are basically all in place.
posted by stbalbach at 2:21 PM on March 9, 2003
posted by stbalbach at 2:21 PM on March 9, 2003
How did I guess it was you?
My glowing red nose must have given me away. :)
posted by homunculus at 3:11 PM on March 9, 2003
My glowing red nose must have given me away. :)
posted by homunculus at 3:11 PM on March 9, 2003
the sami (or saami) even have a web-browser available in their own language (or at least one of them).
posted by kickingtheground at 3:52 PM on March 9, 2003
posted by kickingtheground at 3:52 PM on March 9, 2003
homunculus - really? but... but.. we had such a good winter.. with loose snow that those spoon shaped hoofs can dig really well in.
posted by dabitch at 4:40 PM on March 9, 2003
posted by dabitch at 4:40 PM on March 9, 2003
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posted by homunculus at 11:54 AM on March 9, 2003