Inveneo Communications System

Officially launched in March 2006, the Inveneo Communications System is an integrated set of information and communication technology (ICT) products and software developed to foster information sharing and interaction within communities around the world who have little or no access to electricity or
communications. Inveneo (a USA-based, non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to empower people in remote and under-served communities through access to computing and communications) developed this system for non-government organisations (NGOs), local governments and other organisations seeking to meet the needs of rural communities worldwide with regard to education, telehealth, economic development, humanitarian aid, emergency relief, and so on.

Specifically, the Inveneo Communications System is a low-maintenance, solar-powered personal computer (PC) and communications system that integrates what designers describe as reliable hardware and secure, easy-to-use, open-source (Asterisk) software (click here for the open source design specifications and software). The system is designed to resist dust, moisture and heat. It is powered on a high-capacity battery (12V DC) to ensure consistent operation, even when power sources such as solar, hydro, wind, or a bicycle generator are unreliable.

Deployed as of this writing in partnership with the ActionAid ICT Reflect Circle Program in remote villages of western Uganda, the system consists of a Communications Station and a Hub Station, two modular components that are intended to together provide a complete, out-of-the-box ICT solution. Designed for use by end-users in a village home, school, or clinic setting, the Communications Station provides computing, voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) telephony, and internet access. The thought is that community empowerment can be fostered through the use of these ICTs; villagers have reportedly used the system to make calls to find out where to sell crops at the best prices, coordinate selling trips, contact government websites to find out about health services, learn more about scholarships for their children, and so on. The Hub Station is designed for use by a network administrator and is located in a regional location.

The system enables a network to be built around a cluster of rural locations that are connected wirelessly using long-distance WiFi to the Hub Station, which manages the broadband local area network and local VoIP calls (using Asterisk) and connects with internet and telephone networks via satellite, cellular or ISP/PSTN services. Through a partnership agreement, Wyse Technology's "Thin Computing" plays a key role in the solution by providing computing capabilities while consuming very little power, at low cost. The Inveneo and Wyse solution will soon be made available for broader applications.