Wireless Networking for Development On Display at AirJaldi

Where on earth can you talk about wireless mesh networks over lunch in the Dalai Lama’s private courtyard while gazing out at snow-capped Himalayan peaks?

At the first annual AirJaldi Summit held last month in Dharamsala, India, of course. I had the privilege of attending this event along with one of our colleagues at Drishtee and interacting with a global group of technology professionals drawn by the opportunity to meet and discuss wireless networks and their relevance to local and international development.

AirJaldi was chaired by a determined Israeli technology specialist named Yahel Ben-David, with a vision of using wireless mesh as an inexpensive means to broaden the communications capabilities of rural institutions around the world.  This approach has been effective in this spiritual center, where the Dalai Lama makes his home and where Tibetans regularly make a pilgrimage across the threatening mountains to hear him share his wisdom. There was little pomp or circumstance, but plenty of interaction and idea-sharing among the 100 or so delegates, who built up strong rapport and motivated one another through a series of lively panels and discussions.

The entire ICT-for-development movement faces criticism for its focus on technology rather than on meeting human needs. But I was encouraged to see the speakers at this conference, though enthused about the latest and greatest protocols, for the most part led with human needs. They spoke about business models and social challenges, rather than bits and routers. This is the kind of thinking we need in order to demonstrate that Information and Communication Technologies can make a meaningful contribution to improving service delivery in low-income markets. Several innovative technology companies that embodied this approach – and that have the potential to develop into the kind of enterprises that Acumen Fund supports – were present. There are plans to create some sort of institution to duplicate what works in community networking, and to ensure the outcome of this meeting is more than talk. The future should be brighter when these initiatives take shape, and we should continue to push the focus on business models and human needs.