Communication partnership stirs interest in science

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February 2003 News

The ongoing initiative by the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) to bring science to communities that would otherwise not be exposed to such learning has seen a major communications specialist playing a supporting role during the recent total solar eclipse.

At the request of the Nkwe Ridge Observatory Institute, who had been appointed by DACST and the Foundation for Education, Science and Technology (FEST) to run the Solar Eclipse Awareness Campaign, Pretoria-based Q-Kon supplied their ViNet broadband satellite Internet access solution, to facilitate live uplinks from observers in the rural areas where the eclipse was best seen.

Normal communication access via Telkom's DECT system would have been unreliable as it only allows for voice transmission and a limited Internet facility at a speed of 9600 bps. It was also proving difficult to get an ISDN Telkom connection for the Observatory, which is west of Pretoria.

Q-Kon's ViNet system proved ideal for the connections required and was also used to transmit an interview to the New Scientist journal. Operating on DVB satellite distribution services, ViNet is permanently connected and eliminates any telephone dial-up constraints, wireless link complications and telephone call charges. All that is required is a small satellite dish, an indoor satellite modem and in the absence of electricity, a generator, to provide subscribers with Internet access at speeds of up to 128 kb/s, anywhere in Africa.

Unfortunately, current telecom regulations prohibit the deployment of this solution in South Africa. Deregulation in other parts of Africa though, has created a viable market within the continent.

"With this type of high-speed, reliable Internet access," says the NRO Institute's Richard Wade, "we will be able to disseminate not only astronomical information, but in future also information on archaeological and ethnographic finds, that will bring about an awareness of the rich cultural heritage present in southern Africa." The interview with New Scientist was picked up by CNN and huge interest was shown worldwide during the total solar eclipse.

"This is the kind of awareness we aim to generate," continued Wade, "not only among the international scientific community, but more specifically among our disadvantaged learners. Q-Kon's VSAT links will help us to achieve these aims."

For more information contact Dirk Staal, Q-Kon, 012 665 0052, [email protected]

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