Colonia La Flor is located at 40 km from El Soberbio, in Misiones Province (Argentina) at the borderline with Brazil. This is the main virgin rainforest in the country where 800 families and four guaranies communities live.
The doorman of a school was looking for connectivity at home. For that reason, he invented a wireless system, since the only way to connect is via wireless, with equipments that require line of sight. The antennas are made of simple and affordable materials: metal pipes, wires and tensioners. Pipes are cut off every three metres and are welded until they get 25 metres tall. The antennas are held to the floor with wires and tensioners. They also include metal stairs to reach the top of the structure.
The invention worked. The doorman, Ramon Cardozo, achieved his goal and connected his house. Then he now offers free connectivity to his neighbours from his house, including school children who avoid travelling for hours to get to the nearest cybercafe.
It only took Ramon a short time to take internet to local homes. The State company, Marandú, helped with connectivity and materials.
The YouTube tutorials were a key tool for Ramon to set up the equipments at homes. And with Google Earth and his knowledge about the rainforest he had the references to install his antennas.
The antennas can be transported by parts, in small motorbikes, by jungle trails, ground sinuous roads, where a car or a pick up cannot drive along.

http://marandu.com.ar

• El Soberbio, Misiones., Argentina

• Youth
• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• Remote and rural communities

It is a connectivity project which can be replicated in any forest in the world. In this case, the project highlights the importance of thinking the connectivity with local people and foregrounds the importance and entrepreneurship of the people in the area, in addition to the creativity they demonstrate.

The connectivity solution is very affordable and friendly with the environment. It is admirable to see how the antennas are adjusted to the local environment. It is possible to build in that place where the structures practically do not invade the vegetation. Moreover, as the trees grow, it is possible to add new segments of antennas in order to keep the line of sight of the equipment.

The project promotes social connectivity through entrepreneurship for simple and economical Internet access. The project manager showed his solidarity to provide Internet access from his home to schools and neighbours with economic and health difficulties. He also connected indigenous communities to access a new world of knowledge.