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NetHope is a non-profit organization that seeks to combine the skills and experience of its member organizations to improve and share their ideas around IT. To date, the members of NetHope have created numerous committees that seek to improve access to and use of information and communication technologies for development and emergency relief, and have been running pilot projects all over the globe. These projects include building local NetHope communities, to improving bilateral communications between the local relief chapters, to providing internet connectivity in the most remote areas. NetHope continues to grow and expand, facilitating IT collaboration around the globe. NetHope ChaptersNetHope chapters are a localized effort to increase bilateral communications among team members of all organizations. The chapter effort is aimed at bringing the NetHope’s member organizations together completely, not only on a corporate level. Through local chapters the organizations hope to solve their problems faster, find the best methods, and facilitate each other’s tasks as much as possible. Currently (as of 2007) five chapters exist, one for East Africa, one for Sri Lanka, one for India, one for Indonesia, and one for Latin America. Some chapters are further along in their development than others. India’s chapter has had more than a half dozen meetings in 2007, while East Africa started later in the year and has had only a couple meetings. Many of the chapter representatives share similar concerns, such as the lack of connectivity, inadequate infrastructure and support, expensive services and the need for greater information sharing and developing diverse skill sets. Through NetHope, the members hope to share information about best practices, best providers and other general solutions. As a consortium of local agencies, NetHope chapter representatives can jointly petition and lobby regional and national governmental organizations for better connectivity and infrastructure.
VSATVSAT was an innovation to NGO’s, it brought the members of NetHope together around connectivity issues while solving legal and financial issues. VSAT was a joint contract between the members of NetHope and a satellite connectivity provider in order to give all organizations access to great support, pricing, and availability. This project while it may have been a logistic nightmare while being finalized has grown to include over 100 satellite connections around the world used by the members of NetHope.
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NetHope
