Connectivity Providers Database

From: "Jan Wilson" <corocom@btl.net> To: Ken Gulick <keng@darkwing.uoregon.edu> Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 22:48:42 -0600 CC: Brian Candler <B.Candler@pobox.com> At Corozal Community College / Corozal Junior College we now (largely thanks to Brian) have email and web browsing on all our computers in the computer lab. We are engaged in an active program of trying to get other secondary and tertiary schools in Belize connected also. I would think any interest you might have in our situation in the schools in Belize would not be the level of sophistication (rather low) but in the perserverance in the face of very low funding and technical obstacles. IMHO, two unusual factors have made this connection possible. First, the local telco monopoly, Belize Telecommunications Ltd., decided to give free unlimited access to the Internet to all secondary and tertiary schools in Belize. Second, Brian Candler invested 2 and a half years of his life as a VSO volunteer setting up the original Internet connection in Belize, and a good fraction of his time, expertise, and considerable personal financial contribution since. A few others of us, with less technical prowess but with well-meaning dedication, have tried to carry the baton, and we seem to be moving along. Due to Brian's efforts, we got US $10,000 from the OAS for a major week-long workshop taught by Brian on Linux and Internet Connectivity, and he is trying to get another US $20,000 from the OAS to buy leased-line modems and other hardware to help these 30 or so schools get going on the connections. Once we are connected, another major hurdle is developing logistically viable strategies for making good use of that connectivity. So there's lots of work yet to do. ************************************************** Jan Wilson / corocom@btl.net Corozal Community College / Corozal Junior College Corozal Town, Belize / Central America **************************************************