The project assignment will be carried out in groups during the 2nd week of the course (12-16th May). A set (7) of technical and non-technical topics reflecting the five areas of the course have been prepared. All students are adviced to choose a topic in advance in order to prepare themselves before the course starts.

The topics are deliberately loosely defined, to leave space for each student to focus on the issues he/she finds relevant. However, we are always available for discussion of the topics on this mailing list.

As an alternative to these topics, you are free to propose a topic of your own choice as long as it is is within the scope of the course. Please contact us in advance so that we can discuss the topic and define its scope together.

The proposed five areas for the project assignments are:

1. Study of pricing model for satellite bandwidth
2. Power consumption power backup dimensioning for a NGO
3. Review of low power computing alternatives
4. Localization status of a non-Latin-based language
5. Business models for Wireless ISPs
6. Regulatory status for VoIP in Africa and LAC.
7. Review of current use of mobile telephony in developing regions

Projects assignments can be done in groups of a maximum of 4 students.

A description of each of the topics follows:

1. Study of pricing model for satellite bandwidth

• Study existing pricing models for satellite bandwidth.
• What pricing models are satellite providers using to charge their customers for International bandwidth?
• What are the factors involved in their business models?
• Are Community Wireless Networks, where a number of local actors are sharing the cost and access to International bandwidth, a solution for overcoming the problem with high connectivity costs?

2. Power consumption power backup dimensioning for a NGO

• Estimate the power consumption for a medium sized NGO with 10 employees providing services such as printing, photo copying and Internet access./
• Design and budget a power backup system to ensure an autonomy for 3 days.

Title: Electrification of Ikonda Hospital in Tanzania with a Jatropha biofuel Systems
Authors: Elena Cardillo and Francesco Nesta

Title: add here
Authors: Paolo Toldo, Nicola Manica, Giorgio Guzzetta

3. Review of low power computing alternatives

• Define a set of relevant requirements for a low power computer to be used in a rural environment (long distance to major city), in a hot (no AC) and dusty (no closed windows) location powered to a solar power backup system (12 DC output).
• Review existing low power computing alternatives and propose the winning solution for the scenario described above.

Title: Low Power Computing
Authors: Lorenzo Dematté,Alida Palmisano

4. Localization status of a non-Latin-based language

• Select a language that uses either
  1. a non- Latin alphabet OR
  2. the Latin alphabet including a number of non-Latin characters
• For this language, make a review of its current localization status in terms of technical glossary, locale, writing system, character encoding, fonts, keyboard, spell checker and software localization.

Title: A survey on the L10N status of the Tibetan language.
Authors:Elena Cabrio and Daniele Pighin

5. Business models for Wireless ISPs

• Draw up a likely scenario for a rural or city based wireless ISP and discuss various business models.
• Do not consider International bandwidth as the only service offered, but include also services such as local mail, local VoIP, non-local VoIP and other services that you find relevant.

6. Regulatory status for VoIP in Africa and LAC

• Conduct a study of the regulatory status of VoIP in African and LAC countries.
• What are the business opportunities for profit- and non-for-profit organizations to enter the VoIP market?
• Can any parallels between political power and VoIP regulations be drawn?
• Discuss Why the regulations look as they do and why they are in a certain way for a certain type of countries.

7. Review of current use of mobile telephony in developing regions

• Study the current use of mobile telephony in developing regions in terms of terminals, penetration, number of operators, services offered by operators, popular services among common people, payment models, localization of GUI to local languages.

Title: Review of mobile telephony in Africa
Authors: Mauro Dalla Mura, Michele Dalponte, Silvia Marchesi and Claudio Persello

Title: Mobile Telephony in Kenya, is it "Making the life better"?
Authors:Luca Manica and Michele Vescovi

Title: Review of current use of mobile telephony in developing regions
Authors:Michele Forlin, Roberto Larcher and Stefano Schivo

Title: Internet censorship: a review of the cat-and-mouse game>
Authors: Matteo Ceriotti and Judit Zámborszky