Networking in Haiti

 

A typical classroom on UEH campus. Many of them are "open air." This is one of the advantages of the Haiti climate.

Yesterday we received our equipment and started installing. Monday and Tuesday, as the students mentioned, we surveyed some of the campuses. The Humanities Faculty (UEH calls their different colleges “Faculties”) was found to have no wireless at all. At the Sciences Faculty there was only one Router set up for the whole campus and students would bring in their own “wireless modems” from home and do connection sharing with their friends. There was also very little if any wireless at the Law Faculty. Much of our work has been also networking with people.

Chris Sedore, VP of IT and CIO of Syracuse University, Meets With Dean of Humanities School

Every campus we go to we spend time talking to the different Deans, explaining our purpose and intended plans. We are then careful to get their permission and buy’in for any work we do. They have been extremely receptive.

Achile and Shivesh meet with a Humanities Professor

This morning Achille Mesac, Chris Sedore and Lee Badman went to the campuses to work and for a scheduled meeting with President Martelly. I stayed behind with the students due to the hurricane warnings. Although Emily appeared to be moving west, just underneath Haiti, we decided not to chance it. The real concern is that the roads flood quickly when it rains due to all the water coming down from the mountains.

Nat.com Fiber but only 2 megabits. They really need more bandwidth. What they have for the whole campus is fraction of what many of us have in our homes.

Peter Morrissey

Director of Networking

Syracuse University