Mesh Network For Village Internet Access in Brazil

Grantee Project

The context

Fumaça is a village in Brazil with 800 residents, some who are the last descendants of the Puri indigenous nation. There are no fixed or mobile internet connections, but there is one open WiFi access point in the main square provided by the state. However, only those living near the square have access to the network. Fumaça is a community with strong bonds, where neighbors come together for communal tasks, such as building houses and harvesting. It also the location of a collaborative art and sustainable innovation space developed by Nuvem – Estação Rural de Arte e Tecnologia (Cloud – Rural Art and Technology Station).

The project

This project, proposed by Nuvem during our 2015-2016 grant cycle, will create a mesh Internet network to expand the reach of the village’s open WiFi to provide access to at least 80% of villagers. Nuvem will also install a GSM station for use of mobile phones through VoIP. The network will be built by Nuvem in cooperation with the local community who, after a period of training, will maintain the network themselves. The process will be documented and shared on the Nuvem wiki so it may be replicated.

Contact

Visit Nuvem’s website.