One of those Fyi things,
Bob
Gary Garriott wrote:
>
> Colleagues:
>
> Given the current thread of the discussion regarding IT and development, I thought this could be of
> interest.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Gary Garriott
> Director
> Informatics
> VITA
>
>     ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 3, 1998
>                                                                    Joe Sedlak, VITA - 703/276-1800
>                                                  Roye Bourke, SatelLife - 617/789-5955
>
> SATELLIFE AND VITA PLAN NEW DEVELOPING COUNTRY
> COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
>
> Boston, MA, Arlington, VA. Dr. Bernard Lown, Chairman and Founder of SatelLife, and Henry Norman, President of Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) announced today an agreement to collaborate in creating a global email system dedicated to humanitarian and development purposes. The proposed system will combine the use of HealthSat II and VITAsat as well as gateways to the Internet located at the extreme north and south of the globe. Both low earth orbiting satellites will be part of a system
>
> Both non profit organizations agreed to work together to form a coalition of other organizations that own satellite capacity and are willing to permit use of their unused capacity for humanitarian and development activities in the developing world. All organizations would remain independent and the program would be carried out through cooperative agreements rather than the creation of a new entity with its own bureaucracy. Norman said, "several American and European organizations have already in
>
> HealthSat II is a component of SatelLife's unique communications system called HealthNet, which has played an important role in combating information poverty and isolation among health care professionals in developing countries. SatelLife utilizes its system for the dessimination and exchange of relevant health-related information.
>
> VITA, which has provided technical information to requesters for forty years,  pioneered the non-military use of LEOs and was awarded a Pioneer's Preference by the Federal Communications Commission in 1994. The latest VITASat was launched last September from Russia.
>
> VITA and SatelLife have agreed that the two organizations will petition the FCC to permit VITA to share its operational license with SatelLife.
>
> A parallel initiative is being mounted by VITA and the European non-governmental organization (NGO) TOOL to create a coalition of NGOs and other nonprofit organizations. The NGOs engaged in humanitarian and development activities in the developing world will have priority use of the system in exchange for their assistance to indigenous organizations in developing information technology skills.
>
> Dr. Lown and Mr. Norman agreed that realizing the goals of their collaboration face many political, regulatory, financial and organizational hurdles. Details of the joint effort remain to be worked out and then approved by the governing bodies of both groups as well as those of the others who will join the coalition.
>
> The design of a ground station that can communicate with many different satellites and yet is inexpensive is critical to the success of this venture. Licensing users in countries where telecommunications is still a monopoly will be also challenging. Raising funds and obtaining equipment will require energy and dedication.
>
>