A Human Right is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free basic internet and phone access to developing countries, and to citizens of countries whose government has cut off or restricted internet access.
It was discontinued in 2016.
Buy This Satellite
In December 2010 they launched Buy This Satellite, a fundraising effort to purchase the
TerreStar-1 communications satellite, after its owner,
TerreStar Corporation
TerreStar Corporation (TSTR), formerly Motient Corp. (MNCP - 2000–2007) and ''American Mobile Satellite Corp.'' (AMSC - 1988–2000), was the controlling shareholder of '' TerreStar Networks Inc.'', ''TerreStar National Services, Inc.'' and ''Ter ...
, filed for bankruptcy. The idea to purchase the satellite developed out of a meeting in
Berlin of thirty people under the age of thirty, described by A Human Right's founder,
Kosta Grammatis, as a "do tank" (as opposed to a
think tank). A Human Right hopes that providing internet access to impoverished regions of the world would help to solve many of their problems, such as shortages of food,
potable water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ag ...
, and health care. Grammatis believes that, "People are ingenious. If you give people access to information, they can solve their own problems."
Internet and phone access to citizens of countries whose government has shut down all communications is another benefit proposed by A Human Right. This was inspired by the
2011 Egyptian protests
The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January revolution ( ar, ثورة ٢٥ يناير; ), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police ho ...
, where the government shut down internet and phone access to its citizens.
The goal of A Human Right is to have a satellite in
geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...
over Africa, which would provide free internet access to African nations.
A Human Right intends to pay for the operation of the satellite through buying and reselling high-speed
bandwidth while providing low-bandwidth internet for free. They are also working on developing an open-source, low-cost modem as part of providing internet access to those who can't currently pay for it.
Move This Cable
SAex (South Atlantic Express) is a proposed
submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried tel ...
that will link South Africa and
Angola to
Brazil, with onward connectivity to the United States. The cable route, as originally planned, was to narrowly miss the remote island of
Saint Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
, a
British Overseas Territory
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
.
The project was successful and in mid-2012 the cable's path was changed.
Notes
External links
*
Buy This SatelliteTEDxAthens
video of Kosta Grammatis describing A Human Right and Buy This Satellite.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Right
Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco
Organizations established in 2010
Information technology charities
2010 establishments in California