A portable cyber coffee shop manager for rural internet (Project Cybercafe)

Open
Project
Academic experience
140 hours per learner
Learner
Anywhere
Intermediate level

Project scope

Categories
Communications Security (cybersecurity and IT security) Software development Hardware Networking
Skills
android applications network encryption
Details

WHO: Grey-box is social innovation startup that is working on providing free wifi access to educational content in areas where internet and electricity access is problematic.


WHY: 50% of the world lives offline – they have not connected to the internet in the last 3 months. In Africa, the average cost for 1GB of data is 7% of the average monthly salary. Even in North America, 50% of rural Canada does not have access to the minimum speed for the internet. We believe that this is a solvable problem.


HOW: In a nutshell, the current project (codenamed: CyberCoffee) aims at providing low-cost Android devices like UNI (https://www.grey-box.ca/uni/) with the ability to share their internet connection (usually through a 4G modem) with a group of users and manage everyone's access with more precision. The goal is to ensure that no individual user can slow down the access of the whole group by using too much bandwidth or monopolizing the available data.

Deliverables
  • This project will involve a literature review of existing solutions, technological recommendations, and an early prototype.
  • The app should allow to manage internet usage on Android devices (with root access) and be able to set data and bandwidth limits for users connected to its hotspot.
  • The app should also allow admins to reserve data and bandwidth to ensure updates or core activities for specific timeslots.
Mentorship
Domain expertise and knowledge

Providing specialized, in-depth knowledge and general industry insights for a comprehensive understanding.

Skills, knowledge and expertise

Sharing knowledge in specific technical skills, techniques, methodologies required for the project.

Hands-on support

Direct involvement in project tasks, offering guidance, and demonstrating techniques.

Tools and/or resources

Providing access to necessary tools, software, and resources required for project completion.

Regular meetings

Scheduled check-ins to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide feedback.

Supported causes
Reduced inequalities

About the company

Company
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2 - 10 employees
Education, Non-profit, philanthropic & civil society, It & computing, Technology, Telecommunications

Grey-box is a social innovation startup. Its main product, Uni, provides wireless access to digital resources (such as Wikipedia, Khan academy, several MOOC-type online courses, medical databases) in areas where access to the internet or to electricity is unreliable.

While 50% of the world's population is not connected - and the COVID-19 situation is exacerbating these inequalities - our team is working on an accessible product (portable, energy efficient, climate resistant and, above all, less than 100 $ the unit) which allows anyone to connect to these essential resources for their development and autonomy.

Grey-box is a nonprofit structured under the principle of mobile-first and remote-first. Diversity is not only encouraged, it is an integral part of the strength of the team and its projects