Its hard to believe but there are still places in the world without access to basic broadband services. War-torn and poverty stricken countries don’t have the infrastructure in place to enjoy the broadband speeds that we enjoy. Enter FabFi, an open source project that allows hi-speed networks to be made from commercial routers and about $60 worth of materials. Here’s how it works: a commercial router is mounted on a home-made RF reflector with an identical one setup a distance away. The two routers then establish an ad-hoc network that anyone with similar reflectors can access.
The reflectors that people use to access the network can be built from a variety of materials, including wood, stone, clay – basically any local material that the metallic mesh can be attached to. The device can also run on car batteries so power interruptions can be kept at a minimum. The system is already providing internet to a large portion of Jalalabad in Afghanistan and three other sites in Kenya. Just think of the possibilities of this kind of system if implemented in far flung provinces in the country, especially in rural areas that desperately need internet access to improve the quality of their lives.
Via: Fast Company
Source: FabFi