Connecting a community (and keeping it connected!) is much more complex than just building some infrastructure. Local conditions vary dramatically from place to place.

The ISIF Asia-supported ISLET Connect project, by CVISNet set themselves a challenging task – connecting the islands of Gilutongan, Caohagan and Pangan-an, off the coast of Cebu in the Philippines. The islands have little by way of their own infrastructure and are home to people who moved to the islands with few possessions – aside from being small but densely populated islands with limited services available, they’ve also been seriously impacted by Typhoon events which damaged Internet infrastructure.

ISLET Connect used a variety of methods and experimentation to establish low-cost connections. Point to Point Internet connections that used line-of-sight to the mainland were one part of the equation. So were satellite connections, and the Locally Accessible Cloud System (LACS) which provides localized connectivity when the island is cut off. They also experimented with shopkeepers providing coin-operated broadband for financial sustainability.

Learn more on the project page, including the full technical report.

Pictured is a member of the ISLET Connect team testing a connection with students at the Gilutongan school.