[serval-project-dev] Serval Press Release from Flinders University

[Paul Gardner-Stephen]

SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPORT BRINGS NETWORK-LESS MOBILES CLOSER TO REALITY
A new, open source, mobile phone technology developed by Flinders
Universitybs bdigital blacksmithb Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen and which
promises to revolutionise telecommunications has earned him a
USD400,000 Fellowship from the prestigious philanthropic Shuttleworth
Foundation.
The Serval Project, created by Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen in response to
the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, aims to provide mobile
telephony in the absence of conventional telecommunications
infrastructure.
bThe Haiti earthquake demonstrated how the infrastructure-oriented
mode of communications has no resilience,b Dr Gardner-Stephen said.
bIf the towers are knocked out, mobile phone handsets become useless
lumps of plastic in our hands. The Serval Project has proven that
there is no reason for that to be the case,b he said.
Using sophisticated mesh network technology, the Serval Project
enables mobile phones to communicate to create a bvirtual networkb
where no network coverage exists.
This funding will enable Dr Gardner-Stephenbs team to take the
technology from concept-proven capacity to make voice calls, send SMS
and map locations and features through to a refined, end-user ready
product.
bCommunications around the world are tightly tied around big
enterprise and big infrastructure and itbs good to have as a service.
But that service isnbt available to millions of people in remote and
poverty-stricken areas,b he said.
bThe Serval Project isnbt a threat to the telcos. In fact, it will
complement the conventional carriers by offloading bedge-trafficb from
the networks which will be burdened by increasing data volumes and
video calls.
bWith the generous support of the Shuttleworth Foundation, webll be
able to advance the cause of the Serval Project to address these
global communications needs.b
Dr Gardner-Stephen anticipates that the Serval Project software will
be available free to the public within 12 months.
bThat will allow friends travelling in convoy in the Outback, for
instance, to call each other for free from car to car,b he said.
bIndeed, we are actively working with Outback communities to trial the
technology to provide remote communities with mobile phone and
Internet access.b
He also extended an invitation to bthe worldb to participate in the
development of the software which was made available to developers and
potential contributors on the Android Market earlier this month.
bWe would expect that in five yearsb time every mobile phone thatbs
manufactured will have our technology,b he said.
bWe are excited to welcome Dr Gardner-Stephen to the Shuttleworth
Foundation fellowship programme. Innovative approaches like his are
necessary to enable ubiquitous, affordable access to
telecommunications,b says Karien Bezuidenhout, COO of the Shuttleworth
Foundation.
The Serval Project is built upon the technology of the Village Telco
project and acknowledges the generous support of Flinders University,
the Dutch NLnet Foundation and the Awesome Foundation.

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