Mahabir Pun, connected the rural areas of Nepal with wireless connection. This slide shows some glimpses of his amazing work. For details, just google his name. :-) I think this interesting story needs a tech coverage, if you are interested, email me at amit@janakitech.com

1. Community Driven Development Projects
And
Use of Wireless Network
Some Efforts
and
More Dreams
Mahabir Pun

2. My Involvement in Community Development Projects
• Education:
– K -12 high school. Plan is to build a college by 2015.
• Healthcare:
– Health training program for the rural health workers. Telemedicine
programs in the rural clinics
• Income Generating Programs
– Yak Farming
– Poultry, Duck, Rabbit Farming, Fishery
– Paper Making
– Bee Farming
– Cheese Production
– Camping Grounds/ Tourist Lodges/Trekking
• Nature Conservation and Environment Protection Programs

3. My Focus
• Initial Projects
• How Nepal Wireless Networking Project was Born?
• What are we doing now?
• What is my vision and dream projects?
• How Kathmandu University can be involved?

4. A Nepali Proverb
“It is better to be crazy than to die...”
If you want to do some thing good without
money you have to work like crazy and try
everything else.

5. Nangi, My Home Village

6. Beginning in 1993 – Volunteer at Himanchal High School

7. Tree Plantation Program in Nangi village

8. Started Yak Farm, Khopra, 3,650m (150 Yaks now)

9. Yak and Cow Cross Breeding farm – 25
cross breeds now

10. Started Cheese Making in Paudwar Village

11. Fishery in Nangi Village

12. Started Paper Making in Nangi village

13. Paper Making Project

14. Paper Products

15. Bee Keeping

16. Plum jams in made the village

17. Started Handicraft Training for Women

18. Started Nettle Cloth Making in Salija Village

19. Mushroom

20. Started Sewing Training in Nangi

21. Started Health Training in Nangi village

22. Health Training

23. Local Health Worker

24. Used Computers

25. Built Village Computer Labs

26. My Involvement in Wireless
Networking Project
Started Nepal Wireless Networking Project in 2001 to build
local communication system between the villages.

27. DLink 900AP Wi-Fi Router,
Maximum - Range 100 m

30. Testing Phase (Year 2001)

31. TV Dish Antenna Used as Receiver in 2001

32. The First Wireless Link Made in May 2002

33. Implementation Phases
• Phase I (Year 2004)

34. • Using large trees as relay towers has worked well

35. Got help from Volunteers to bring in Equipment & Build Network

36. Implementation Phases
• Phase II (Year 2005)
Launa aba ta kehi garoun – Let us do something now
World Bank Support through Poverty Alleviation Fund - Nepal

37. Relay Station 2

39. Power Generation
Solar and Wind Power

40. Khopra Relay at 3,650m

41. Wireless Receiver in Kagbeni

42. Project Implementation:
Relay Towers at Dip (1,025m), Mohare (3,320m), Lumpek

43. Project Implementation: Relay Towers
Larke (2,890m) and Dhakarjung (3,560m)

44. Climate Change Monitoring System

46. • Makwanpur – Kathmandu – Dolakha - Nuwakot Network

47. 15 Districts connected to
Nepal Wireless – about 160 villages

48. Wireless Network Usage

49. Goals of the Project
Maximize the benefit of the technology to the rural
population.
• Tele-education and tele-training – Online educational
content sharing, video conferencing between teachers and
students
• Tele-medicine – Medical service through online or offline
consultation using the Internet and Intranet
• Communication – E-mail, Internet Telephony.
• Information share – Webpage, bulletin board, group
discussion, research works
• E-Business – Internet banking transaction, remittance
services etc

50. Developing Educational Content
• Over 2,000 OLPC Laptops in Classrooms Distributed by OLE -
Nepal in 25 Schools
Need Developers

51. Telemedicine Center in a village

52. Tele – Health Training

53. Wireless Network Usage

54. Communication Center

55. News and Bulletin: Nepal Wireless Local Homepage

56. News and Bulletin: Nepal Wireless Local Webpage

57. E-Learning

58. E-Library

60. Training Programs

62. Virtual ATM

63. Weather Station at Khopra (3,650m) with
Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok

64. Real-time Weather Report from
Khopra Weather Station

65. What else we are doing now?
• Expanding the Wireless Network to more districts
• Building Community run Eco-trail – Myagdi Parbat
• Connecting Nepal to Outside World to Research
and Education Network.
• Working with National Park Chitwan to put
surveillance system to monitor the poachers
• Some Research and Development works

66. New Eco - Trekking Trails
(Not for Profit sharing)

67. Community owned lodges

68. Freemalaya.org

69. Annapurna Base Camp West
Used by Maurice Herzog
in 1950

70. Pokhara to Manang Trekking Route

71. A Restaurant in Thamel
Not for Profit sharing
Meeting Place

72. Research & Development Works
Let Us Work Together

73. Developing Video conferencing system for
tele-teaching for Patan Hospital

74. Rural Clinic & Hospital Management System

76. Mm
75
Manaslu Base
Camp
Need to Develop Poacher Surveillance
System

77. Trying to Develop an ECG machine

78. ECG OUTPUT

79. Developing Trekkers Tracking System
for Nepal Tourism Board

80. Using 2.4 GHz and 5.7 GHz now
Need for testing 300, 700 MHz and 800 MHz
Band for connecting rural areas.

81. • Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN):
• Trans-Eurasia Information Network(TEIN3):
• GÉANT2 network
• DANTE Network
• Internet 2
Nepal Research & Education Network

82. Energy Bazaar Advertisement

83. Sustainable Dream Projects
• Build 5-10 MW Hydro-power station to build a self-
sustained university and innovation center

84. Need of an Innovation Center in Nepal
1. Document the innovative knowledge people have,
improve it and disseminate the best practices.
2. Promote new innovations and help and provide
mentorship for people, who need support for
improvements.
3. Mentor and back the talented college graduates with
innovative ideas pursuing their dreams - first to
develop prototypes and then products
4. Help the successful innovations to venture capitals or
investors if necessary.
5. Work for the creation of employment and wealth in
Nepal and keep the Nepali talents in Nepal.
6. Provide whatever support is needed for grass root and
small firms with high growth potential

86. Build a Hydro-Power Station to Support an
Innovation Center
Nepal has approximately 40,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower
potential that will never run out.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have only approximately 700 MW of hydropower now.

87. Here is How an Innovation Center Will be Self Sustained?
• Gross Income in 4 months from 10 MW (10,000 KW) during the dry season:
• Income per hour: 10,000KW x US$0.097 = US$970
• Income per day: US$970 x 24 hour = US$23,280
• Income in four Months (120 days): US$23,280x 120 days = US$2,793,600
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Gross Income in 8 months from 10 MW (10,000 KW) during the wet season:
• Income per hour: 10,000KW x US$0.056= US$560
• Income per day: US$560 x 24 hours = US$13,440
• Income in 8 Months (240 days): US$13,440 x 240 days = US$3,225,600
• Total Gross Income a Year: US$2,793,600 + US$3,225,600
= US$6,019,200
After deduction of different factors, O&M, Loan Payment etc,
Approx. Balance ~ $2,000,000

88. The Ultimate Goal is to Create
“Freedom of Opportunities”
In Nepal

89. My Suggestions
• Have strong will to overcome all the odds.
• Be a rebel if you want to do something that is you
think is important for you or for people.
• Do things your way no matter what others say.
• Don’t quit just because people say that it is not going
to work. Try more times.
• Don’t worry for money. It will come sooner or later.
• Don’t care about awards and recognitions. It will
follow you by itself if you do your work sincerely.
• Don’t be afraid to be called crazy by people.

90. KU Development Studies
Intern Students - 2013

91. Volunteers from Korea

92. Project for 2014
Korean Advance Institute of Science and Technology
• 1. Drying facility
• 2. Science lab
• 3. Micro-hydro power
• 4. IP-TV image processing for aviation safety

93. The Challenges Ahead
• Solving Technical Issues
• Addressing Sustainability Issues
• Developing Business Model
• Volunteering
Kathmandu University can take it as a challenge.
We can work together.

94. • For More Information
– Please Visit:
• http://www.himanchal.org
• http://www.nepalwireless.net
• http://www.olenepal.org
• http://www.enrd.org
• http://nren.org.np
– Contact:
• mahabir@himanchal.org
9841592361 (mobile in Nepal)