After prototyping in Scotland, we discovered we needed four additional Ubiquiti Powerbeam M5 antennas for the two shorter 5km internal links within the island required to get the signal from the entry point (a mountain top near Kibanda) via another highpoint, Bulega, to our planned kiosk in Bugarula. Mick Hicks from Cromarty Firth Wireless helped us […]
Month: June 2016
Testing long-range WiFi in Scotland
Patrick shot and edited this video, documenting the prototyping mission. Directing WiFi long distances required us to develop an understanding of the physical and logistical challenges of point-to-point communication. Making the minute adjustments to antenna position, required to get the maximum throughput, is a great challenge so we wanted to practice. The challenge At 50km, […]
Research and preparation to bring the internet to Idjwi
In developed countries, the internet has become like a utility, but our research told us that introducing the internet into the developing world requires providers to become more service like – content sometimes need to be curated, and access needs to be gradually introduced. This is because: People often don’t have the skills to extract value. Connectivity […]
Installing a solar powered patient management system
At New Hope Hospital, all record taking was paper-based. Managing chronic conditions such as malaria and malnutrition, monitoring the recovery after operations via outpatient visits, and ensuring that prescribed medication and diagnosis was effectively recorded, was therefore a terribly arduous task for Dr Pascal and his staff. Admin overhead was keeping the hospital small scale, […]
Automated telephony healthcare powered via SMS
Understanding the mobile landscape, and appreciating the low literacy levels, we knew we needed to utilise the power of SMS. But combined with the connectivity and automation we can now provide from the BRCK and the hospital’s server, we had the right tools in place for constrained health services. Automated audio prescription advice Many patients […]
Providing a base level capacity for Design & Innovation in the DRC
We wanted to provide Ensemble with insight into Fjord’s service design methodologies. By providing this design and innovation training we knew that Ensemble would have the capability to scale their own training to their partner businesses. If we could help Ensemble become a service design leader in the DRC, we knew that the businesses they […]
Breaking! – Internet access reaches Bugarula
The small town of Bugarula comes alive on market days, with around 10,000 visitors from across Idjwi. Ensemble works with UFIN, a womens co-operative that produces textiles for sale at the market. It’s near Bugarula port, so we plan to provide news on shipping and cargo for traders, coffee producers and tungsten miners. Also the Mwami (King) […]
Fjord Makeshop In Nairobi – December 2015
We feel very humble to have been part of the advance party on something we hope will become much greater than the sum of its current parts. We hope that the project will mean many of us can take this forward into the field. Nairobi is certainly a colourful place. On our first day there, […]