Comments on: WGSDIA – Launch Google Voice in Africa

By: Steve Song

Steve Song — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 07:31:19 +0000

Hi Louis. OpenMesh is a great solution. If you’re interested in delivering voice services as well, have a look at the Mesh Potato project which combines an OpenMesh style AP with an Analog Telephony Adaptor plus low power consumption, hardened ports, and a weatherproof case. We expect to have mass production of the Mesh Potatoes before the end of the year. You could even combine OpenMesh devices and Mesh Potatoes on the same network.

By: Louis

Louis — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:46:50 +0000

Hey,
i have been a google voice user since its days @ gramdcentral and my first reactionto it even then was that it was a killer app for africa. Now they only need to add shorcode hosting and or an API so you can programme your SMS responses.

On Mesh networks,im moving back to africa and have been thinking about my broadband connectivity one thing i have been thinking about is getting a leased line. and setup a mesh network to share bandwidth and charge my neighbors for excess capacity

i have been looking at openmesh as a possible solution.

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:15:17 +0000

Free calls??? South Africa???? hahahahhahahahah, TELKOM would never allow this… useless, greedy company!

By: Steve Song

Steve Song — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:55:40 +0000

There are number of African countries where this won’t work under the currently regulatory regimes. However, you could certainly make this work in South Africa and I suspect the two other countries I mentioned, Kenya and Nigeria, would also be feasible. I haven’t done a thorough enough review to know where all the most likely candidates are but I have no doubt there are more.

By: coldtusker

coldtusker — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:59:12 +0000

I wonder if African governments will allow this. In Zambia, the government has given the sole international gateway to the Zamtel (gov’t controlled & owned) that makes international calls prohibitive.