You can see what I’ve written about in this blog related to the DITG.

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Wireless Technology Summit – Dharamsala 2006

Dharamsala’s Tibetan Technology Center Partners With International Experts
To Present the ‘Air Jaldi Summit’ And Extended Training Workshops

(Press Release)

The Tibetan Technology Center (TibTec) has announced that it will host the Air Jaldi Summit on wireless technologies in Dharamsala, India in October 2006. TibTec has partnered with the Djursland International Institute of Rural Wireless Broadband (DIIRWB), the European leader in community-based WiFi development, and will join the World Summits on Free Information Infrastructure (WSFII) to deliver a conference and extended wireless training workshops in October. The conference proper will be held from October 22nd through 25th in Dharamsala, India. The training workshops will span a two-week period directly after the conference. Further details on the workshops will be supplied later on.

Phuntsok Dorjee is the Chief Information Officer with the Tibetan Technology Center. He’s quoted in the press release as saying “As a result of developing the Dharamsala wireless mesh network, we were approached by global technology leaders to share our research, and one thing led to another. We accepted an invitation to host an international conference to bring the best and brightest wireless experts to Dharamsala. We’re really looking forward to the conference, especially the training workshops portion of the summit. This is going to be a fantastic event for the region, and for all of India”.

The Air Jaldi Summit will attract wireless technology experts and community activists from India, Europe, North America, Israel, and Australia.

The Air Jaldi Summit comes in direct response to international interest in the Dharamsala Community Wireless Mesh Network. It was developed in cooperation with the Dharamsala Information Technology Group (DITG), an organization chaired by the Tibetan Computer Resource Center (TCRC) and some of the region’s leading information technology professionals. Mesh networks are a kind of decentralized networking infrastructure that are inexpensive, and very reliable and resilient, as each node need only transmit as far as the next node. Nodes act as repeaters to transmit data from nearby nodes to peers that are too far away to reach, resulting in a network that can span large distances, especially over rough or difficult terrain. Mesh networks are also extremely reliable, as each node is connected to several other nodes. If one node drops out of the network, due to hardware failure or any other reason, its “neighbours” simply find another route. Extra capacity can be installed by simply adding more nodes. Mesh networks may involve either fixed or mobile devices.

Air Jaldi Summit Website

The Tibetan Technology Center (TibTec) is a charitable organization dedicated to harnessing modern technology and assisting the Tibetan community in India. The center is located at the Tibetan Children’s Villages School (TCV) which hosts and supports it. TibTec’s first project is the Dharamsala Community Wireless Mesh Network.

Djursland International Institute of Rural Wireless Broadband (DIIRWB) Djursland International Institute of Rural Wireless Broadband is dedicated to the establishment of wireless networks, both for rural landscapes but also for towns all over the world. Using the experiences gained in building and establishing The DjurslandS.net

World Summits on Free Information Infrastructure (WSFII) WSFII, is an ongoing international process of multiple, local action oriented events which provide space for people to come together, to share experiences, present practical solutions, to learn and to build, all kinds of Free Information Infrastructures.
Friends of the Air Jaldi Summit

The following organizations are supporting the Air Jaldi Summit. Please visit their websites for more information.

Tibetan Children’s Villages (TCV)

Wire.less.dk

One Village Foundation

Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network (CUWiN)

The Dalai Lama Foundation

NYCWireless

Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People (IFTIP)

Freifunk

Melbourne Wireless

IleSansFil

Toronto Wireless

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The wireless mesh in Dharamsala I have already mentioned. And I will say more about it as the broth thickens. The mesh will be cost-shared by organizations that use it, but beyond that it’s basically free. Fred Pook is a wireless activist active in India who recently visited Dharamsala, spent time with Yahel Ben-David, and with others in the DITG crew – you should read his report. The photo is of Fred Pook, Tim Kiely, and Phuntsok Dorjee at the Tibetan Tech Center, taken by Yahel Ben-David and you can read his comments at the Tib-Tec blog.

Looks like there may soon be a specific proposal to hold a world summit on free information infrastructures in Dharamsala, probably during 2006 year.

So also in the “free access” area, it has been reported that Google will bring free wireless access to Redwood City and they’ve already bid on bringing universal access to San Francisco.

I think it’s obvious that what will ultimately happen, of course, is that the “free” network will require some financial support, so there will have to be some charge (or advertising, or charges for premium service) for access at some point, but I think the unifying principle that is really worth looking at (TCV-TC/Tib-Tec, and Google) is that people may want to remove the “profit” from such networks and make them belong to the community rather than to private enterprise.

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Tibetan IT Professionals Pool Talents In New Association

Dharamsala IT Group Calls For Resource Partners To Contribute To Sustainable Development Projects

Palo Alto, CA, April 15, 2005 – The Dharamsala Information Technology Group
(DITG) was launched today to tackle Information Technology (IT) development
in the region. The Tibetan Computer Resource Center (TCRC) and leading IT
professionals in Dharamsala, India formed the new group after a recent
series of networking and security workshops. It was the first time that the
TCRC had met with so many of its counterparts from local organizations.

“This is truly an historic meeting, the first time we have all sat down in
the same room to solve problems together”, said Thubten Samphel, Secretary
of the Department of Information. Twenty-four IT professionals attended the
workshops from a dozen local organizations. The workshops were conducted by
an international delegation of IT experts led by Thubten Samdup, founder and
former president of the Canada Tibet Committee and former Member of
Parliament for the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGiE).

The primary goal of the DITG is to leverage local talent and become more
self-sufficient. Historically the Dharamsala IT community has relied heavily
on advice from outside experts. But when those experts were no longer
available critical systems were often at risk. Moving forward, Mr. Samdup’s
expert group will facilitate world-class training for the Dharamsala IT
community. The objective is to improve local planning, development, and
operational skills.

Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche and Minister Lobsang Nyandak, of the TGiE,
both offered official support to the new group in meetings with Thubten
Samdup and his delegation. “The best thing to come out of the workshops is
the desire for everyone to work together and develop local skills”, Mr.
Samdup stated. “There is a fantastic amount of talent in Dharamsala and all
it needed was the right spark to light the fire. We’re honored to have been
part of that”.

The DITG is putting out a first call for technology experts who will become
“resource partners” and visit Dharamsala to train local personnel. The DITG
is especially interested in: Linux, wireless technologies, information and
network security, hardware, and database training. Thubten Samdup will
coordinate the work of the resource partners, and The Dalai Lama Foundation
will be the initial fiscal sponsor in the United States. Any interested
parties should please contact either Thubten Samdup or Jim Schuyler listed
at the top of this document.

***
About the Dharamsala Information Technology Group

The group is chaired by the TCRC, and its inaugural members include
Norbulingka, TCV, Men-Tsee-Khang, Voice of Tibet, Delek Hospital, TIPA,
Sarah, and IBD.

About the International Delegation of IT Experts

Thubten Samdup, Former Member of Parliament for the TGiE, and Founder of the
Canada Tibet Committee, Jim Schuyler, CTO, Dalai Lama Foundation, Locke
Berkebile, IT Consultant, Errikos Pitsos, CEO, Ciphire Labs, and Laird
Brown, Chief Strategist, Ciphire Labs.

About The Dalai Lama Foundation

The Foundation was established with the Dalai Lama’s endorsement. It
supports the development of ethics and peace based on non-dogmatic
compassion, and develops educational programs.

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