by Mr Tin Maung Thann President Myanmar Egress

by: Mr. Tin Maung Thann President Myanmar Egress tilapiaone@gmail. com

2 May 2008 – Nargis cyclone hit Myanmar. – Devastated Five Divisions and States including Yangon. – Delta areas, the worst-hit, with the heaviest casualties and infrastructural damages. – Communication infrastructure was down in cyclone hit areas. – Electricity Black-out. – Very limited transportation.

• Myanmar Egress – A local Not-for-Profit Org. dedicated toward capacity development in Myanmar. • Nargis Action Group – Sister organization of Myanmar Egress – Collaborated activities of local donors incl. leading Biz community.

• DUMBO-Myanmar – Useful in handling of relief, recovery and resettlement activities aftermath of Nargis Cyclone. • Coordination Program – Phase I: Introductory Phase of DUMBO • Part I: Training for Myanmar Engineers at AIT • Part II: DUMBO Deployment – Phase II: Utilization of DUMBO systems by government agencies and i. NGOs

Trainings for Myanmar Engineers at int. ERLab/AIT 21 – 25 May 2008

Introducing DUMBO in Myanmar 26 May 2008: Myanmar Egress HQ, Yangon • Presentation/report to Myanmar Egress/NAG partners, Myanmar Computer Professional Association (MCPA) – Technical overview – Network requirements – Benefit/features of system – Project plan (DRAFT) 27 May- 2 June 2008: Myanmar Engineer’s site visits to Pyapon and Bogale Townships

int. ERLab/AIT coordination team’s visit to Yangon and Pyapon area (accompanied by one of ME Directors) 30 May – 3 June 2008 • A series of meetings with senior officials of Myanmar Egress and MCPA • Site visit to Pyapon Township • Meeting with technical team for implementation plan

Utilization of i. Pstar Satellite connection • Plan to use among Yangon, Pyapon, Ngaputaw (potential sites are Bogale, Mawlamyinekyun etc. ) • Due to several factors, i. Pstar satellite connection is only available at Yangon and Pyapon • Financial constraint and domestic rules/regulations, (the latter is more important)

Yangon - Pyapon: 75 Km (Point-to-Point)

Online among ME HQ, field offices in Yangon & Pyapon • 20 June 2008: Video conferencing, data sharing among Yangon HQ, 2 field offices in Pyapon is successfully tested. • Ready to soft-launch on 21 June 2008. But postponed due to unforeseen situation in BKK. • Although there were complicated situations to satellite/wireless communication domestically, ME continued testing DUMBO. • Some technical errors are reported to int. ERLab and sorted them out.

Online among ME HQ, field offices in Yangon & Pyapon • ME used DUMBO network for data sharing and day-to-day communications between HQ and fields office • even during ME’s logistic arrangement for TCG-PONJA, data collection for UNICEF and Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) • ME is trying to test ‘HQ’- ‘field office’ – ‘field site’ • HQ-field office via i. Pstar • Field office-field site (village) via long range wireless antenna (need special permission, waiting for that !!!)

Comprehensive DUMBO training for field operators • Date: 24 -25 June 2008 • Venue: • Theatre 3, MCF e-Learning Centre, Myanmar Info. Tech, Yangon • Trainers: 5 Myanmar engineers trained at int. ERLab • Trainees: 24 participants from • ME, MCPA, Yangon Uni. (Computer Science Dept. ) • Govt. sector: Myanmar Post and Telecom, General Administration Department • IT companies: GMI, KMD, MCC, Credent, Cytron, Global Net

Presentation to i. NGOs • ME/NAG officials presented DUMBO to several i. NGOs including UN agencies in Yangon ME/NAG’s current manpower for DUMBO • 5 dedicated young professionals have been employed under ME’s payroll and assigned to test, run, and trouble shoot DUMBO deployment

Latest DUMBO Deployment report • Site: Myingagone village Pyapon Township • 12 Eee. PCs w/ DUMBO OLSR, 50 metre between each node. • Utilized DUMBO network during live data collection • Very useful as Team leader can command control his volunteer team and get instant data at mobile office. • Restrictions: Eee. PC’s low battery life especially in Mesh wireless network.

Pyapon - Myinkagone Village: ~ 7 Km

Constraints in DUMBO-MM Phase I • Domestic regulations • Bad weather (during heavy monsoon, most of common use ICT equipments can not be deployed outdoor) • Difficult transportation in low-line delta area • Short of regular power supply • Difficult to maintain regular ICT equipments in the harsh field operation • Financial needs, especially for i. Pstar stations (approx. US$ 5, 000/station)

ME’s dedication toward successful DUMBO-MM Phase I • According to test results of ME DUMBO Team, HQ-Field Office – Field site (mobile or stationed at village) is applicable. • Waiting for authorities’ permission to install long range wireless antennas officially. • Request for further technical/equipment assistances DUMBO-MM, Phase II (? ) ME is ready to coordinate for the broader usage of DUMBO-MM in Nargis Affected Areas for recovery and resettlement activities.

Special thanks to … • • • APIA APNIC APNG APRICOT Cisco Systems Dot. Asia Network. The. World NSRC SOI-Asia THNIC WIDE-Project

ISIF Funded Project • Emergency Networks Training – Mobile Ad Hoc Network – Wireless Mesh Network – Community Radio • Tools – Easy. DC (Ph. D @ AIT) – Emergecny Social Network (under development)

Wireless Internet Workshop • October 12 -16, 2009 – at int. ERLab/AIT • • • RISTEK/Indonesia (Wi. Max) int. ERLab/AIT (MANET) Gram Vaani/IIT (Delhi) (Community Radio) Nepal (Wireless Mesh) Hands-On for community workers Welcome SPONSOR for participants!!