so today I am acting department manager. Five minutes ago I checked the email and got this
"Could you please call (our ISP contact) and let him know we DO have an internet connection. I can't get through to him to tell him because the sat phone is cutting out."
!!!!
THIS IS GREAT NEWS.
Aitape is one of the locations that is hosting a multiple language translation project (translating more than 1 Bible at a time). We sent a team of 2 guys out there, they left two days ago. They installed a 2.4 meter VSAT dish, and tuned it in successfully.
YES!!!
You have no idea the amount of work that goes into installing a VSAT dish in a remote village location.
In your home area, you'd pour a cement slab, with some bolts, and put the dish together and mount it to the slab.
HERE, you have to make sure all the parts fit in the plane, the bags of cement are considered hazardous so have to be dealt with specially for the plane trip. Then you have to be sure there are workmen to do the pouring, etc.
It takes weeks.
AND THEN, how do you call your ISP to say 'turn on the pipe?' when you have no cell phone or phone service? You use a sat phone.
Anyway, it's online!!!! That's awesome..
stay tuned for part II.
