Getting the net into remote regions in areas like Africa

In reading and commenting on many of the posts for the Women Weave the Web campaign, I've been reminded of how much I take for granted connectivity to the internet through my smartphone or tablet - using the 3G network here in France when I'm out and about and using wifi at home. When I've mentioned WiFi in some of my comments, it's become clear that for many people this technology is simply not available and I was asked by Esperance Murohokeye what it is - so I though I'd pass this on (in French and English):

Le wifi est un méthode pour fournir une signal internet dans une maison ou une café que tout le monde dans l’endroit peut accèdera avec un mot de passe. Bien sur, le transmitteur du base doit être lie par un ligne téléphonique mais ca permet a plusieurs personnes d’accéder au net par le smart phone/tablet ou ordinateur portable. Je sais que Google et Facebook sont en train de rechercher comment fournir des signales wifi en utilisant des drones ou ballons avec des transmitteurs de signales wifi pour des régions comme en Afrique ou il n y a pas bcp des réseaux téléphoniques.

Voici un lien sur le projet de Facebook : http://betabeat.com/2014/03/facebook-wants-to-build-11000-drones-to-brin...

et celui ci va vous donner plus d’informations sur le projet de Google :

WiFi is the provision of a wireless-free signal (ie not a telephone line plugged into a wall) that connects to the internet in a house or a cafe where everyone can have access to the net if they have the password. Obviously, the transmitter does have to be plugged into a phone line but that allows several people to access the net through their smart phone or tablet or portable computer. I know that Google and Facebook are in the process of researching how to provide wifi signals using solar-powered transmitters on drones or balloons for regions like Africa where the telecommunications infrastructure is not accessible in remote rural areas.

As well as the links above that describe the two different projects in some detai;, here is an article from the Independent newspaper that gives an overview and discusses some of the surrounding issues: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/widening-the-net-facebo...

Hope some of you find this useful!