Regarding the query on internet addresses for Africa, IDRC Information
Sciences and IDRC Health Sciences Divisions have been funding an experiment
in store-and-forward, low earth orbit, satellite e-mail communications in
Africa for sites not well served by conventional means. It is called
HealthNet and is managed by SatelLife, a US based not-for-profit NGO. There
are an increasing number of ground stations available in Africa and these can
be reached through conventional internet addressing (addresses below). There
is a user council in each country who manage the last mile communications. I
attach some recent instructions from SatelLife regarding the new addressing
system.
*****************************************
From: C=US/A=INTERNET/DDA=ID/hnet(a)usa.healthnet.org
Subject: e-mail addressing
Date: Monday, April 25, 1994 at 5:47:02 pm EST
Attach: smtp4221.499
Certify: N
-------------------------- [Original Message] -------------------------
Original MHS ID: US/INTERNET/0006isuqiaqc
Original UA Identifier: C=US/A=INTERNET/DDA=ID/hnet(a)usa.healthnet.or
g/MSG=0006isuqiaqc
Delivered: Mon Apr 25 17:47:13 1994
----------------------------- [X.400 Text Follows] ---------------------------
--
As you all know (or should know by now), we at SatelLife have changed our
e-mail address from [log in to unmask] to [log in to unmask]
This change was necessary because we anticipated setting up our own gateway
and needed a domain name ['healthnet.org']. To make things easier, we
decided to use our domain name using an account provided by The World
(Software Tool & Die) - an Internet server in the Boston area.
Originally, people were advised to address mail with the following formula:
FirstInitialLastName.[1st 3 letters of][log in to unmask]
This formula now needs to be changed for the last time! Instead of putting
the country before the '@', it now needs to go AFTER the [log in to unmask]
For example, Adil Abukashawa in Sudan, now has the following e-mail
address: [log in to unmask] (Please keep username to 8 characters
or less.)
Now we have our own Unix machine which is directly connected to the Internet
and all of our mail is being received by this machine.
The time required to set up the machine as a full time gateway while at the
same time adapting the exisiting software we use for the satellite operation
was more than we anticipated. Due to this fact, mail addressed to
[log in to unmask] was bounced. We had to first set up the Internet
connection before we could solve this problem.
Currently, we have solved the problem of bounced mail (to : anyone@[1st 3
letters of]country.healthnet.org). Please note that the old addressing
cannot be used anymore.
TO SUMMARIZE:
MESSAGES TO HEALTHNET USERS MUST BE ADDRESSED TO:
[log in to unmask]
WHERE, COUNTRY OBEYS THE CODES LISTED BELOW AND USERNAME IS KEPT TO 8
LETTERS.
**NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT SEND MAIL TO [log in to unmask]
COUNTRY CODES:
aus - Australia
bot - Botswana
bra - Brazil
cam - Cameroon
can - Canada
cub - cuba
eri - Eritrea
eth - Ethiopia
gam - Gambia
gha - Ghana (Accra)
gha2 - Ghana (Navrongo)
ind - Indonesia (not yet operational)
ken - Kenya
mal - Mali
moz - Mozambique
nig - Nigeria (not yet operational)
phi - Philippines (not yet operational)
sud - Sudan
tan - Tanzania
uga - Uganda
usa - United States
zam - Zambia
zim - Zimbabwe
All of this painstaking process was necessary. We are moving to a better
service and we hope you can understand. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If you should encounter any other problems, concerning the HealthNet address
scheme, you can use the following address as a backup:
[log in to unmask]
Thank you for your patience and cooperation. And please feel free to ask
for clarification if you need it.
Sincerely,
Edson Pereira
System Engineer
and
Diana Ricci
Office Manager
SatelLife
**********************************
Don de Savigny, Ph.D.
Principal Program Specialist
Health, Society and Environment Program
Health Sciences Division
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
|
