Yak farmers in the mountains of Nepal are using wireless internet technology to keep in touch with their families. They are taking advantage of a wi-fi network set up in a remote region of the mountain kingdom where there are no phones or other means of communication. It is the result of a campaign led by local teacher Mahabir Pun, and backed by volunteers and donations, to bring the internet to an isolated part of the world. So far, the Nepal Wireless Networking project has hooked up five villages in the area using wireless technology. "Yak farmers are using the network to buy and sell livestock, and exchange vetinerary tips," said Mr Pun. "From the village where I live, the yak farm is two days' walk away, so that was one of the reasons why I thought about using wireless technology," he told the BBC programme Go Digital. "After we had the network, we could talk to the people taking care of the yak and ask them if they had problems, for example if they needed medicine or food or if they had any messages for their families.
"They can send message via e-mail and also they can do it through NetMeeting video conferencing software, so they can also talk." The project was featured in a BBC News Online article in 2001, at a time when Mr Pun was struggling to get the initiative off the ground. The article prompted a big response from readers, with offers of aid and advice. Through donations of second-hand equipment and visits by volunteers, Mr Pun was able to turn his vision of a networked Nepal into reality. Source: BBC News
