Many of you have heard about the $100 laptop program, in which the geeks at MIT are aiming to provide laptops for children in developing countries as well as impoverished children in our own country. There are many challenges to this proposition including cost, timing and shipping logistics. But another concern is once we get these laptops children in say, a remote village in Africa, how the heck are they going to connect to the Internet?

One group, the aptly named Green Wi-Fi, has a solution: solar powered wireless. The company has built a wireless router that runs on solar power, which, if successful, would be much less expensive than setting up a wired network, due to rough terrain and unreliable electricity. Green Wi-Fi is partially funded by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative.

The device, which is a modified Netgear WGT634U router (below), would provide a literal "hot spot" using a weather-proof solar panel. This would potentially bring all sorts of information to remote parts of the world both practical (weather and health) and entertaining (movies and celebrity gossip). Of course, the company is still working out the kinks--like what to do if it rains for a long period of time--but a few solutions, including powering down the unit during low usage periods, are already being tested.

In any case, it's a great step forward for the $100 Laptop initiative.

More Information:

Green Wi-Fi: How it Works

Green Wi-Fi Pamphlet

Solar power may soon bring the Web to remote areas

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