The modem,
BRCK was unveiled at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh, Scotland by Ushahidi.
The modem can switch between Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G and Ethernet connections
automatically, depending on the available signals.
BRCK is
made specially to cope with the hard African condition which is in form of
abysmal power supply and loss of internet connectivity. The modem allows users
to plug in a SIM card for network services. It comes equipped with an 8-hour
battery in case of power loss.
“While
Africa may have joined the digital revolution and mobile is becoming
ubiquitous, internet connectivity is not always reliable and the price of
connecting is high,” Ushahidi’s co-founder and director, Juliana Rotich said
after the event.
“We get
online and then there is a power cut and we are plunged into darkness and the
internet connection goes down.”
The modem
also has an antenna to boost network connectivity in places where signal is
hard to find or very weak. It also has a cloud-based software which
allows it to be accessed from anywhere to see the condition of its Wi-Fi and
electricity.
Ushahidi which literally means “testimony” was derived from
the firm’s crowdsourced mapping platform built during the Kenyan post-election
violence in 2008. The firm’s software has also been used for blizzards in
Washington DC, hurricanes in the US, earthquake in Haiti and Japan, and
election monitoring around the world.
The company’s motto is “if it works in Africa, it will work
anywhere” which I think is true for most things.
BRCK is expected to cost $199 when it comes into the market
in November but pre-order can be made as from next week.
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Pls alway add a picture to your article. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your observation. Duely noted.
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