| "It's not about the addressable market today, it is about | | | | conditions in Palestine, including Google, Microsoft, |
| building a future for my 8 year old daughter," says | | | | Cisco, and the Negroponte Foundation. Those groups |
| Mohammed A, a Ramallah-based consultant in | | | | are providing both equipment, and training to |
| information and communications technology. "The | | | | Palestinians, as well as offering consulting for education |
| World Bank can provide a lot of great statistics about | | | | programs. Donor organizations are beginning to dump |
| the state of telecommunications in Ramallah, but if my | | | | money and projects into the country (which BTW is |
| girl does not have the same access to eLearning and | | | | ironically a synchronization and control nightmare for |
| education as an Israeli girl, she won't have a chance." | | | | the Ministry of Education), and expatriate Palestinians |
| Of course there are a lot of politics and cultural issues | | | | are starting to bring business and opportunity back to |
| involved. Ramallah and the entire territory of Palestine | | | | the homeland. Tareq Maaya, CEO of Exalt |
| are under Israeli administration, which poses many | | | | Technologies (and founder of Ghost Software - the |
| challenges in receiving approvals for telecom services | | | | remote access operating system), explained |
| such as wireless, including frequencies not only for | | | | Palestinian software developers are among the best in |
| internet providers, but also the mobile phone industry. | | | | the world, and there is a good opportunity for Ramallah |
| WiMAX is not allowed (in Israel as well) due to military | | | | to become a leader in software outsourcing. In fact, |
| restrictions, and much of the telecom and computer | | | | Exalt Technologies is now doing outsourced software |
| equipment destined for Ramallah is held up on | | | | development for Cisco, with much of their workload |
| warehouses on the Israel side awaiting customs | | | | being shifted to Ramallah from development centers in |
| clearance and release. In the education system less | | | | India. This is good if you are a relatively wealthy |
| than 1/3 of university students have adequate access | | | | Palestinian returnee from Silicon valley, but what about |
| to basic Internet access or computers, and very few | | | | Mohammed's daughter? How will she bring herself up |
| primary and high school students have Internet access | | | | to the level needed to work at Exalt, if she has no |
| or eLearning as part of the curriculum. Government | | | | access to the Internet or eLearning resources? |
| officials admit they had some mistakes in prioritizing | | | | Dr. Sabri Saidam, Advisor to the President on IT and |
| educational resources, further reinforcing the obvious | | | | Technical Education, has ideas. He is a politician, well |
| issues resulting in education system shortfalls. And | | | | educated, and very savvy on technology. He has a |
| Mohammed's daughter still has no access to the | | | | plan on the board to connect all universities via high |
| Internet in school. In Palestine, everything is controlled | | | | performance fiber optic cable, and fully integrate both |
| by Israel. Many international organizations and groups | | | | Internet and network education, as well as eLearning |
| try to influence Israel's government to relax restrictions | | | | into the curriculum. A passionate man, he is focused on |
| on issues such as mobile frequencies, however Israel | | | | bringing the message of Palestine to the world, |
| has been reticent in responding to international | | | | evangelizing the need for all nations to support a |
| pressure. | | | | Palestine that gives hope to the people. He reminds us |
| Why? Oh my, that is a topic that is way beyond the | | | | that "people with hope are productive, happy, and |
| scope of a short blog entry. But the result is emerging | | | | become content with prosperity in life. Those without |
| mobile operators such as Wataniya Telecom cannot | | | | hope become frustrated, angry, and need to find a |
| get final approval from the Israel government to | | | | way to express that frustration." |
| release frequencies in both the 900Mhz and 1800Mhz | | | | That is not good for Palestinians, nor anybody else. |
| ranges needed to operate their business. The delays | | | | The regional troubles of the past 50 years are well |
| are becoming so costly, Wataniya (a Kuwaiti telecom | | | | known, poorly understood, but always good for a |
| investment) may need to back out of the project. At | | | | zealous conversation. The rights, wrongs, and realities |
| this point all public Internet access is connected through | | | | are all parts of history. History being paid for by 8 year |
| Israel. Independent or private VSAT (satellite) | | | | old girls, grasping at hope for a future that brings both |
| connections are not allowed, nor are direct public fiber | | | | peace and prosperity. Our world is connected through |
| connections from Palestine through Jordon or other | | | | social networks, chats, email, video, and any other |
| adjacent countries. The problems are compounded by | | | | activity that can be reduced to binary digits. There is |
| geographic separation of Palestinian territories such as | | | | no excuse to deny this connected world to any 8 year |
| the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. | | | | old girl, regardless of her nationality, race, or ideology. |
| And Mohammed's daughter still has no access to the | | | | Ramallah is getting better every day, but we still need |
| Internet in school. Some American and other | | | | to nurture this city, and every other city around the |
| international companies are developing a soft spot for | | | | world in a similar situation. |