James O’Donnell
University Librarian
Arizona State Universtiy
Ann Okerson
Offline Internet Consortium (OLI) Steering Committee
Half the world’s population has no broadband, while many more have limited access (bad data plans, bad politicians, bad socioeconomic conditions, emergency situations [post-disaster, post-conflict]). The Offline Internet Consortium began with an international summit at Arizona State University in January 2018 and now counts some thirty organizations and continues to grow. The fundamental insight is that in many circumstances, networked information delivered in non-networked ways can be a powerful force for social welfare and development. Very small solar-powered servers can go anywhere—e.g., in the hands of Peace Corps volunteers in Micronesia. Creative use of TV white space or satellite downloads can circumvent censorship and political black spots. The project briefing will describe some of the basic tools, report on successes and ambitions, and help attendees understand whether they or colleagues would have an interest in participating.
https://www.ofline-internet.org
https://www.librarieswithoutborders.us/
https://solarspell.org/
(many more are linked from the Offline Internet URL)
