No school too far, no community too remote
Knapsack Content Station
With a simple setup, minimal hardware, and no need for internet access, Content Station delivers free daily shipments of invaluable information and rich media to places and people at the furthest ends of the digital divide.
An Offline Internet Solution
Presently, too many communities are denied the quality education they deserve due to natural barriers, prohibitive costs, and underdeveloped infrastructure. At NetFreedom Pioneers, we seek out, develop, and deploy innovative methods for circumventing these traditional barriers to information. It’s through this mission that we have developed Knapsack Content Station, a wifi-accessible content station that receives, extracts, and saves data delivered via our Knapsack satellite datacasting technology.
Bridging the Digital Divide
NFP is dedicated to uplifting the individual through expanding information access, with education being a critical element. With Knapsack Content Station, we envision rich media and vital information made available on-demand to even the most disconnected people. Using inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and widely-available Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite dishes, Knapsack Content Station delivers quality educational material to traditionally underserved communities.
With an ever-increasing portion of the world realizing the benefits of information access via the internet for education, a great divide is forming between those with available, affordable access to information, and those without. With Knapsack Content Station, we can bridge this digital divide, granting the previously underprivileged with increased opportunity, more informed decisions, and a meaningful impact on one’s future.
Education Everywhere
Schools that are too remote to have sufficient infrastructure, refugee camps, and disaster-stricken communities; anywhere that is “disconnected” as a result of insufficient ICT infrastructure (information and communications technology) can still gain the information and materials needed through Knapsack Content Station technology. The curated and internet-independent nature of the system is also ideal for educational rehabilitation programs for the incarcerated.
Curated Content
With the ability to download Gigabytes-worth of media-rich data within a few hours, communities are given incredible access to an ocean of educational materials. Curated, format-agnostic, and always updatable, the information made available through Knapsack Content Station allows teacher to craft a curriculum that grabs students’ attention and holds their interest.
Reliable Technology, Amazing Results
Knapsack Content Station heavily utilizes off-the-shelf hardware for deployment, and is compatible with commonly-used devices. Maintenance is minimal and usability is high. An extended wifi range and the ability to host multiple platforms on a single device allow for flexibility in use, ensuring that students and teachers can make use of its benefits as they see fit.
Easy Deployment, Big Reach
Schools that are too remote to have sufficient infrastructure, refugee camps, and disaster-stricken communities; anywhere that is “disconnected” as a result of insufficient ICT infrastructure (information and communications technology) can still gain the information and materials needed through Knapsack Content Station technology. The curated and internet-independent nature of the system is also ideal for educational rehabilitation programs for the incarcerated.
Schools and libraries
Access up-to-date teaching resources and connect to unlimited number of ebooks, wikipedia and digital archives.
Refugee Camps
Give residents access to daily news and educational resources.
Emergency Communication
Distribute real-time critical relief information at times of crisis and network outage.
Knapsack Content Station in Action
Oaxaca, Mexico
With an ever-increasing portion of the world realizing the benefits of information access via the internet for education, a great divide is forming between those with available, affordable access to information, and those without. With Knapsack Content Station, we can bridge this digital divide, granting the previously underprivileged with increased opportunity, more informed decisions, and a meaningful impact on one’s future.
Actualizing the Potentials in Rural Schools
With an ever-increasing portion of the world realizing the benefits of information access via the internet for education, a great divide is forming between those with available, affordable access to information, and those without. With Knapsack Content Station, we can bridge this digital divide, granting the previously underprivileged with increased opportunity, more informed decisions, and a meaningful impact on one’s future.
A Documentary
Knapsack For Hope
Learn more about how NetFreedom Pioneers deployed its first pilot program of Knapsack Content Station in a rural schools in Mexico to enhance the quality of education for students.
How It Works
Received via Knapsack Datacasting Technology
The Knapsack Content Station utilizes satellite datacasting technology to send gigabytes of digital content using a low bandwidth satellite broadcasting. The technical process to transmit content begins with uploading desired content to a satellite through an online web portal designed as a delivery mechanism to the satellite. The content is sent to this satellite and then encoded on a TV channel to common, local free-to-air satellite TV dishes on earth.
Stored on the Knapsack Content Station:
Software within the Content Station automatically decodes the transmitted content from the TV channel to its original form, (PDFs, JPEGs, HTML, MP3s, etc), and stores it. This receiver also acts similar to a WiFi hotspot, allowing users to access its stored content wirelessly within a range of up to 500 meters. Students or teachers can wirelessly connect to the Content Station with their laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and can then view, listen to, watch, and otherwise engage with the content.
Consistently Updated Content
Using off-the-shelf devices and without the need for an internet connection, schools and communities can regularly receive updated and expanded libraries of digital content. Once decoded by the software, this content can be stored on a number of common devices such as a simple USB or hard drive, allowing it to be accessed at any time and place.