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From: amb@magicnet.mn (by way of sgoldste@nsf.gov (Steve Goldstein)) To: gstrawn@nsf.gov, abush@nsf.gov, pryoung@nsf.gov, wychang@nsf.gov, egaston@nsf.gov, kerb@nsf.gov, acpeters@nsf.gov, nlane@nsf.gov, rcorell@nsf.gov, mclutter@nsf.gov, cmarrett@nsf.gov, mbardon@nsf.gov CC: Mike Nelson <mnelson@ostp.eop.gov>, Tom Kalil <tkalil@arpa.mil>, cgoulden@sas.upenn.edu (Clyde Goulden), James Gosz <JGosz@ilternet.edu>, jgosz@sevilleta.unm.edu, "David W. Simpson, Pres., IRIS" <simpson@iris.edu>, nsrc@nsrc.org, Barry Fulton <bfulton@usia.gov>, dmitchel@nsf.gov, mluker@nsf.gov, monemb@aol.com Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 01:21:37 -0400 UNCLASSIFIED PROG 01/24/96 AMB:DCJOHNSON AMB:DCJOHNSON ADCM:CMARTIN ECON AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR SECSTATE WASHDC INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY MOSCOW FOR EAP/CM DEPARTMENT PASS TO USDA BEIJING FOR SCICOUNS DICAPUA AND AG MINCOUNS BRANT E.O.12958:N/A TAGS: EAID,PREL, MG SUBJECT: HOW THE INTERNET CAME TO MONGOLIA 1. SUMMARY: MONGOLIA IS NOW CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET SYSTEM. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, AN IMPORTANT SECTOR OF MONGOLIAN COMMUNICATIONS IS INDEPENDENT OF EITHER NEIGHBOR. THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, THIS EMBASSY, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND MONGOLIAN INSTITUTIONS ALL PLAYED A PART IN GETTING THIS PROJECT TO THE FINISH LINE. END SUMMARY 2. IN JANUARY 1995, THE HEAD OF A PRIVATE MONGOLIAN BUSINESS CALLED DATACOM VISITED ME TO ASK IF WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SIGNING ON TO THE COMPANY'S EMBRYONIC E-MAIL SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM INVOLVED A ONCE-A-DAY EXCHANGE OF MESSAGES USING A DIAL-UP FACILITY IN CALIFORNIA. WE AGREED TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS, TO SEE WHETHER THE SYSTEM WOULD WORK. 3. AT THE SAME TIME, I BRIEFED MR. ENKHBAT ABOUT THE REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS THAT THE EMBASSY AND THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY HAD CREATED. THESE FUNDS USE THE PROCEEDS FROM SALES OF COMMODITIES -- MOSTLY BUTTER AND BUTTER OIL -- DONATED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO MAKE LOANS TO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN MONGOLIA. ENKHBAT WAS INTERESTED, SINCE HE WANTED TO UPGRADE HIS SERVICE WITH A SUN SYSTEM COMPUTER. A LOAN WAS ARRANGED, AND THE SUN SYSTEM WAS PROCURED. 4. IN MAY, DURING CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON, I WAS TOLD THAT STEVE GOLDSTEIN OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION WAS AN EXPERT ON HOOKING COUNTRIES UP TO THE INTERNET SYSTEM. I WENT TO SEE HIM, AND IT TURNED OUT THAT HE WAS PLANNING A TRIP TO MONGOLIA. WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INTERNET CONNECTION FOR MONGOLIA, AND HE PROMISED TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO FROM THE NSF SIDE TO HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN. 5. WHEN HE VISITED IN JUNE, WE SET UP A MEETING AT THE EMBASSY OF EVERYONE WE COULD THINK OF FROM THE MONGOLIAN SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS DATACOM AND OUR MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS, TO DISCUSS THE PROSPECTS. MR. GOLDSTEIN SAID HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET NSF MONEY TO COVER THE COST (BETWEEN 5,000 AND 7,000 USD PER MONTH) FOR USE OF A SATELLITE CHANNEL FOR A MONGOLIA INTERNET CONNECTION. THE CONDITION: DATACOM WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO GIVE VERY LOW COST ACCESS TO THE INTERNET TO MONGOLIA'S SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. WE DEFINED THIS TO BE THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, THE MINISTRY OF NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT, THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AND THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY. 6. FOR ITS PART, THE EMBASSY PROMISED TO WORK WITH THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY SO THAT DATACOM COULD GET A LOAN FROM THE "BUTTER FUND" AND BUY THE NECESSARY SATELLITE DISH AND GROUND STATION EQUIPMENT, WHICH COST APPROXIMATELY $100,000 INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND INSTALLATION. 7. THINGS THEN SLOWED DOWN DRAMATICALLY DURING MONGOLIA'S SUMMER VACATION SEASON. IT WASN'T UNTIL AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER THAT THE LOAN WAS FINALLY APPROVED AND THE EQUIPMENT ORDERED FROM THE COMSTREAM CORPORATION IN THE UNITED STATES. IN THE MEANTIME, HOWEVER, MR. GOLDSTEIN HAD BEEN BUSY LINING UP THE SATELLITE CHANNEL, SO THAT WHEN THE EQUIPMENT FINALLY STARTED ARRIVING IN MONGOLIA IN LATE NOVEMBER, THE SATELLITE CHANNEL HAD BEEN SECURED. ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH SHIPPING THINGS TO MONGOLIA WILL NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DELAYS WHEN BOXES THAT WERE REQUIRED FOR INSTALLATION FAILED TO MAKE IT HERE IN TIME. 8. ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS FINALLY ON THE GROUND AND INSTALLED IN DECEMBER, AND ENGINEERS CAME UP FROM SPRINT'S OFFICE IN CHINA TO RUN TESTS ON THE SYSTEM. WHEN DATACOM WAS SATISFIED THAT EVERYTHING WAS TOGETHER, IT INVITED PRESIDENT OCHIRBAT TO THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY ON JANUARY 17. THE MONGOLIAN PRESIDENT ATTENDED, AND WATCHED WHILE THE MONGOLIAN FLAG WAS DISPLAYED ON A TV MONITOR AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS PLAYED ON THE COMPUTER'S SOUND SYSTEM. THEN HE WENT OVER TO ONE OF THE COMPUTERS TO WATCH AS THE OPERATOR PULLED UP THE WHITE HOUSE HOME PAGE, THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S HOME PAGE, AND THE HOME PAGE FOR THE RUSSIAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE INFORMATION SERVICE. THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS COVERED ON THE NATIONAL TV NEWS AND GIVEN FRONT-PAGE COVERAGE IN THE NATIONAL PRESS. 9. DATACOM IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF HOOKING CUSTOMERS UP TO THE SYSTEM. WITH A LOAN TO REPAY, THEY ARE EAGER TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE EAGER TO GET THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HOOKED UP, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE MINISTRY OF NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT -- WHICH WE OPERATE NASA, NOAA, NSF, AND EPA PROJECTS -- WILL BE THE FIRST TO BE CONNECTED. 10. I DON'T SEE THE INTERNET JUST AS A TOY FOR SCIENTISTS OR E-MAIL WRITERS. I SEE IT AS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR BUILDING DEMOCRACY, AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN A REMOTE LOCATION SUCH AS THIS ONE IS CERTAINLY NO LESS IMPORTANT THAN IT IS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. JOHNSON
