Green Light for the Pilot Project
At the time of writing of this newsletter, the Connect East Timor (CET) container (fully loaded!) with all equipment and installation items for the Pilot Project is being unloaded off the ‘Halifax Bay’ in Dili. During a national hook up of the CET volunteer team on Monday of this week, a decision was made to proceed with the Pilot Project installation phase from 2-30 September 2007.
Given what everyone has been seeing on their TV screens in recent weeks, this news may come as something of a surprise for you, the members of our donor and supporter ‘family’. However, I have just returned from two weeks in East Timor to make the necessary preparations and was able to complete this trip as planned with little concern for my personal safety. (This is not to say that caution wasn’t required!)
Those on the ground in East Timor generally expect the security situation to stabilize and improve in the days and weeks ahead. While one can never be entirely sure as the situation remains tense in some areas, I am confident that the decision to proceed with the Pilot Project is a reasonable one given the information available at this time.
(Another important consideration is that the timing of the Pilot Project is potentially significant for the new government – see next item.)
The past two months have been extremely hectic in preparing for the shipment of the equipment and with all the incredibly detailed planning and coordination for the Pilot Project – anything that is forgotten has the potential to seriously affect the achievement of the Pilot Project objectives. There is no Mitre 10 or Dick Smith nearby when in East Timor!
The Pilot Project is now a very big task by any measure and one that would stretch many formally established organizations given the cultural, geographic and other factors involved. The CET volunteers have put in simply an amazing effort, individually and collectively. When several people take the time to comment that everyone is enthusiastically contributing their special skills and experience in a seamless and transparent way, with no murmurs, complaints or agendas, we are witnessing a very special and unique team at work!
I hope that you are happy and proud (I know I am!) to be associated with such a wonderful group of volunteers who are working very hard and enthusiastically to realize, on the ground, in the villages of East Timor, the vision that you have all so generously supported. Peter de Haas
Promoting the CET Vision
As indicated in the previous newsletter, CET has also been working hard towards another of its primary objectives for 2007, namely to: “Secure a high priority (and ideally, funding) for full-scale village radio implementation in the Government of Timor-Leste Sector Investment Program for telecommunications”.
During his recent visit to East Timor, Peter de Haas met with His Excellency, President José Ramos-Horta, as well as key government officials to present CET’s recommendations for the full scale implementation of a village radio network for 480 villages in 66 sub-Districts. More work is still required but the feedback on the CET recommendations to date is encouraging. Officials indicated that they would place the full scale implementation project on the Sector Investment Program and explore how the project might be referred to the new Council of Ministers as early as possible.
Welcome, ACT Government
The ACT Government has engaged CET (under a formal agreement through Palms Australia) to assist in the delivery of a promised radio network for the Dili District Administrator. Under the agreement with Palms/CET, the ACT Government has provided $41,750 as well as an in-kind contribution of surplus radio equipment from the ACT Emergency Services.
The grant was provided under the Canberra Dili Friendship Agreement which aims to build friendship and mutual respect between Canberra and Dili, and promote educational, cultural, economic, humanitarian and sporting links between the two cities.
Consequently, the CET Pilot Project in September now also includes a radio network for the Dili District Administrator. This network will provide radio communications between the Dili District Administrator’s office, the island of Atauro and three municipal service depots within the Dili District. CET will also provide training of local operators and help with arrangements for ongoing support following installation.
CET is delighted to assist with this important friendship project for Dili District and the ACT Government!
(After testing by CET volunteers in Perth, the equipment donated by the ACT was sent to Queensland Rail from where it was shipped to Dili with the other CET equipment – another mini-feat in logistics and coordination by the volunteers, given the short time available!).
Pilot Project Overview
In case you are wondering, the objectives for the Pilot Project are now:
• Balibo sub-District: Connect 8 villages with each other and the sub District Administrator Office
• Lacluta sub-District: Connect 8 villages with each other and the sub District Administrator Office and connect that office to the District Administrator in Viqueque
• Dili District: Connect the DDA office to three fixed depot sites (via a repeater on Atauro Island – 40 kms offshore) and install two mobile radios in the vehicles of the District Administrator and his Deputy
• Atabae sub District: (The site of the May 2005 Demonstration Project):
– Undertake a maintenance check of all Demonstration Project radios
– Connect a new village (Aidabaleten)
– Install and test an automatic interface between the village radio network and the Timor Telecom mobile phone network (enabling calls to be made both ways, to and from the villages)
• Training: It has been proposed that two radio technicians from the Ministry of Infrastructure (Communications) will accompany the CET installation teams for ‘on the job training’
If successful, this Project will provide affordable access to essential communications for some 16,000 to 20,000 people in Balibo and Lacluta for the first time. It will also provide the Dili District with essential emergency communications capabilities.
Of course, none of this would be possible without YOUR generosity and support! If you have any doubts of the importance of the village radio system, read on and see what the people of Atabae have to say!
Letter from Atabae
28 July 2007
His Excellency, Minister for Transport and Communications
Your Excellency,
RECORD OF MEETING: REVIEW OF CET DEMONSTRATION RADIO SYSTEM
We, the leaders and representatives of the Atabae sub District and community whose names and signatures are shown on the following page, are pleased to make this record of our discussions to consider the results so far of the CET village radio system installed since May 2005 in our sub-District.
We are very happy with this radio system which has been a great help every day in many areas of our community life: for the work of the sub-District administration, for health services and for emergencies, and for passing information between families (such as children needing food when they are at school).
This radio system has become very important for us and it would be very difficult for us if the radio was no longer available. It is now a big part of our daily life.
For these reasons, we respectfully recommend to the leaders and government of East Timor that they consider the benefits of such radio systems in all the rural areas of East Timor. We think this will be a great help to all the people.
This group already has a taste of what this radio system can do and we are very happy with it. We also know that our neighboring sub Districts have asked for such a radio system. Therefore, on their behalf as well as all people living in rural areas of Timor-Leste, we are asking the government to extend the same benefits to all other sub Districts and communities that do not have such a radio system.
Thank you for your attention to this report,
(Signed by the sub-District Administrator and other leaders and community representatives following a meeting in Atabae on Saturday 28th July 2007. Subsequently delivered to the Minister and President José Ramos-Horta.)
The Credits
There are a lot of people and organizations that have made very generous contributions in cash or in kind to the Connect East Timor campaign since the last newsletter. On behalf of the people of Timor-Leste who should soon be benefiting from your generosity, thank you to the following:
o The CET Volunteers: Well done to everyone ….all our prayers and best wishes are with you for September!!
o Tait Electronics: For the donation of essential radio repeater modules
o ACT Government: For your trust in Palms/CET and for your generous contribution in cash and in kind for the Dili District Administrator network
o Ministry of Transport and Communications (now the Ministry of Infrastructure): For supporting and assisting with the Pilot Project, especially with the arrangements for Customs clearance, licensing and with the request for access to the Timor Telecom facility on Atauro Island
o B&R Enclosures: For supplying several thousand dollars worth of battery enclosures for the Pilot Project
o Queensland Rail: For all the support (including the supply of a shipping container) to help prepare and ship the Pilot Project equipment to Timor-Leste
o Memo Communications (Perth): For your excellent support of CET volunteers Henry Oosterbaan and Peter Snell in pre-testing the equipment from the ACT Government and for ‘going the extra mile’ in helping to secure needed ancillaries and spares.
o David Hall and his Team: For all the support you are giving CET on the ground in Timor-Leste to help with the Atabae aspects and more generally with the Pilot Project
o Friends and Partners with East Timor (FPET): For a cash contribution of $3000 for a village radio system to be installed in Aidabaleten within the Atabae sub-District
o Barry Hinton, Palms Coordinator, Timor-Leste: For your hospitality and for your support of the recent visit by Peter de Haas in Dili and on Atauro Island
Finally, it is appropriate to acknowledge our other donors and supporters: all those who have contributed financially and in kind to the Pilot Project over the past two years.
We need your support to keep going!
The Pilot Project will consume most of the funds that have been raised over the past two years. CET needs cash, equipment, support services, and willing people to continue our work. You can help by contacting Peter de Haas on 07 40976605.
After the Pilot Project, CET will have connected about 7% of the villages in East Timor. Your help is essential so that we can sustain at least the same level of progress in 2008.
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