Smart phones are techno wonders, and they are also energy guzzlers, which is not a problem for people living in the developed world. However, their high energy requirements has stymied the adoption of mobile internet services in developing countries where mobile internet can be a real lifeline to the rest of the world. In Africa, for example, few people can access the internet from a wired connection but 90 percent of the population lives in areas with mobile phone network coverage.
There’s one problem though. Access to the power grid in Africa is limited. Therefore, users have trouble recharging their phones. This paradoxical situation inspired researchers at Aalto University in Finland to design a network proxy that's claimed to cut power consumption of 3G smart phones by up to a cool 74 percent. The researchers say it serves as a middleman for mobile devices to connect to the internet and it handles the majority of the data transfer for the smart phone.
The case study conducted in 2011 at Aalto University focused on three East African countries: Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The researchers believe their optimized proxy solution could be easily deployed across a mobile network and in areas without reliable sources of electricity. They also point to mobile optimized websites, HTTP compression and more efficient use of data caching as potential ways of alleviating the problem.
Aalto University researchers are not alone in their quest to increase access to mobile technology outside the developed world. Recently, a British company called Eight19 announced a pay-as-you-go solution called IndiGo, which it is marketing as a personal electricity system for the developing world. A combination of solar energy and mobile phone technology, it allows users to light their homes and charge mobile phones as a service, paid for using scratch cards.
The IndiGo system consists of a low-cost solar panel, a battery unit with inbuilt mobile phone charger and a high efficiency light emitting diode (LED) lamp. Users put credit on their IndiGo device using a scratchcard, which is validated over SMS using a standard mobile phone. Following a September 2011 launch in Kenya, Eight19 announced in February it was taking its IndiGo to South Sudan.
2: It's apparently self funding needing no govt financial aid... Yet the recipients not only have to pay $12 to get it installed, but also need to then buy the cards to enable them. Shouldn't they just supply them free and work off of the recharges?
3: Its a 3000mAh rechargable battery.... My Iphone uses that same battery... Hell the rechargables in my keyboard are 2450mAh. Where no light exists before, suse the lights they provide ARE better... But to remove the use of oil lamps entirely why not provide something a little more powerful that could in turn power something a little bigger?
Queries aside... I DO think it's an excellent thing to see someone taclking an issue such as this in what is potentially a very eco-friendly and economically sound idea.
'Grats.
Andy.
@ Martin... in line with "professore" :- Your Sisters husband either needs to get an email account linked to his phone, or send him a smart-phone that has true internet capabilities and he should be able to access the 'servers.'
Having a phone can make big economic differences. For example a fisherman who catches a sword fish use to have to sell it to a dealer who doesn't pay any more for it than he does for any other fish can now call the big hotels and restaurants send a picture and open the bidding as he races the fish back to port.
1: You say, "Once they’ve paid off the system" Does this mean that the recipient can pay off the $12 upfront cost in installments? Are you referring to the "Kick-Start" Scheme and its funds recouping? Or is there a minimum spend amount before an upgrade would be considered?
2: "The code must be entered before charging begins," This raises an interesting config / timing point. If the end user punches in their code at 12midday(0hrs) the battery starts to charge, come 7pm(7hrs) (assuming there's sufficient light) all systems should be go... Sun-up next day (18hrs), the depleted battery begins to charge again. (This is assuming a 1day charge voucher was used.) Come 12midday (24hrs)the recharge should then expire. Does the entire unit de-activate or is it simply the solar->battery link that breaks thus allowing the user to still harvest any accumulated power in the batteries?
3: Do the users need to input both the code from the recharge card and that of the reply sms? Or is it simply the sms code?
4: Back onto the 'bottom rung' point again... Had you thought of trying to coerce some of the local telco's to make the number that the user texts a free sms in return for the 'good will' and free advertising that could be available to them... Ie: "All you have to do is send this code to that number... By the way if you're with telco xx, yy, or zz they will not charge you as they are big and helpful and just generally nice guys... You should TOTALLY swap providers" lol, ok maybe a little extreme at the end... but the point is clear :)
5: Upgradability... I like it! Given the relatively low cost of the initial 2.5w unit, are the upgrades priced on a similar scale? ie: Entry level = $4.8 per watt @ $12 costing.
6: Does the $12 upfront cost cover manufacturing and install outlay, or are you still reliant on continued recharging to break-even / profit?
7: Should bad weather be on the horizon (ie: the wet season) or a family emergeny pop-up... could a month long charge card be paused until the bad weather has passed in order to avoid wasting credit on weather that will not achieve effective charging?
Sorry to hammer you with questions but i'm curious as to the application of the product and its impact on the users :)