Ucloud-Net: Peruvian project seeks to connect and educate the most remote...

For several years, the Uaiki Foundation has been working on a technological project whose main objective is to reduce the digital divide in Peru, providing educational content to the most remote towns of the country that, in general, do not have an internet connection.

Ucloud-NetAs this Peruvian initiative is called, it is a kind of virtual library that is capable of replacing the internet. Users who enter it have the possibility of accessing content from various areas such as history, science, technology, among others.

The Republic spoke with Karim Rifai Burneo, general manager of the foundation Uaiki, who gave us more details about this project that has already had two very successful pilots in the Lares community (Cusco) and the town of Cayhuachahua (Apurimac).

How does Ucloud-Net work?

According to Rifai Burneo, Ucloud-Net is a system that works with electricity (and also with solar energy) that emits a large connectivity cloud so that the inhabitants of certain rural areas can access this kind of ‘educational internet’ using a smartphone, tablet or computer.

“We have created Ucloud-Net to bridge the digital divide, no matter where. The system allows you to replace the internet as the only means of access and in any type of location, it can be in the Amazon or at the tip of Huascarán ”, he says.

“No matter where you are born, thanks to this tool you can have access to quality education, culture and knowledge of all kinds. You will be able to discover a world of opportunities and decide if you want to exploit your potential or not ”, he adds.

According to the founder of Uaiki, the memory that the server has is 4 terabytes (TB), which allows millions of digital content to be stored that is periodically updated, free of charge. Even the capacity can be expanded up to 8 TB.

Unlike traditional internet, which can be very expensive and slow, the kit Ucloud-Net (which has a value of $ 3,200 and a monthly fee of $ 60) provides smooth navigation of up to 100 electronic devices, although this number (as well as its range of reach) can increase if the service is enhanced.

“I am sorry that this project could not be disseminated. Only in Cajamarca and Apurímac are they aware of this, the other regional governments are studying options that will end up being an expense and not an investment ”, highlights the founder of Uaiki.

About the content of Ucloud-Net

Rifai Burneo also explained that the Ministry of Education of Peru (Minedu) is helping them with much of the content, since they have an alliance with them since the beginning of the year.

“We have all the material from Aprendo en casa and Peru Educa. We made an alliance with the Cervantes project, with the Gutemberg project and other organizations that produce content released to be included in applications like these ”, he says.

Use Ucloud-Net it’s very simple, just connect to the Wi-Fi issued by the Kit. “If you are on a computer, the browser opens, if it is from a mobile device an application is downloaded to be able to review all the content that has been designed in a friendly and intuitive way,” he concludes.

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