Global Marine Networks is proud to support many adventurers and expeditions throughout the world, one of which is doing amazing work in remote and impoverished areas through low-cost, highly optimized internet connectivity.
REMCU is an organization dedicated to establishing low-cost reliable Internet browsing and email systems in isolated and impoverished regions of the world. Their clients include NGOs, non-profits and humanitarian organizations, as well as local schools, hospitals, cooperatives and other community initiatives.
Global Marine Networks has provided XGate satellite email service for its project since 2011 and we recently recieved this very cool update about the status of the project:
On Thursday, October 24th, 2013, Ugandan President Museveni visited Katerera Area Co-operative Enterprise for a demonstration of the computer lab and optimized internet access which REMCU installed in Feb-2013.
In May through June, 2013, a new fungus attacked the banana trees of western Uganda. Mr Dennis Asingwiire, Manager of Katerera ACE, used his new internet access to diagnose the threat, research a new fungicide and the correct application thereof, locate suppliers, and procure/apply sufficient quantities to save the banana production. This had a huge economic impact in the area. President Museveni learned of the critical roll played by the Co-op's new optimized internet access and wanted to see first-hand how this cost-effective tool works.
This installation consists of 5 personal computers connected together via a Local Area Network (LAN), and connected to the Internet World by XGate, a compressed e-mail/internet program donated to REMCU by Global Marine Networks, via a proprietary Wireless Router and a cell-phone modem. Together, GMN's Xgate and Router provides Internet service restricted to optimized servers, which save ~80% of data for either e-mail or web-browsing functions. The 80% data-savings makes internet access affordable/sustainable for schools and subsistence farmer co-operatives.
Although the Presidential visit does not directly benefit REMCU, it demonstrates the impact that a cost-effective internet access tool has on economic development.
Our current exciting project is to test new hardware that allows one Personal Computer to host several work-stations, thus cutting the computer lab hardware costs by up to 66%.
Our immediate goal is to install 3 new systems in January, 2014, including this new concept system.
We're very proud of the great work that REMCU has done, and happy that XGate satellite email service and Optimizer have been used to provide affordable internet connectivity to some of the most remote communities on earth. Keep up the good work, REMCU!
