NationStates Jolt Archive

Liberty-City Memorandum Upon the Establishment of a Trans-Havenic Internet Protocol-Based Communications Network and the Expansion of Havenic Internet Infrastructure

Recently, various Havenic diplomats have brought up the issue of the necessity of creating a united Havenic communications protocol, and in particular a united system of telephone switchboards for the Havenic states. After the Department of State referred these concerns to the Office of the White House IT Specialist, it was decided there to release this Memorandum, regarding the weaknesses of the switchboard suggestion and the viable alternatives.

As the White House IT Specialist, I believe the notion of a united phone switchboard to be, at the very best, though sufficient, outdated at the moment of inception. Not only does Haven and its surrounding areas contain at the most modest extimated over 400 billion people – necessitating the use of a system that will utilize 15-digit phone numbers if we're to eliminate the notion of duplicates – but, more importantly, the system would be outdated at its stard.

Havenic Comrades, a system exists that not only can accommodate for all of Haven's telecommunications needs for a foreseeable future, but also to provide every house in Haven with high-quality information access of every kind.

Specifically, the White House IT Specialist Office recommends the expansion of existing Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol equipment (if you are reading this, then your nation is already equipped to handle the protocol) to handle IP-based telephony.

IP telephony is not a novel concept. Under this vision, your phone is simply a part of the global Internet system, just like an ordinary computer. This circumvents the need for creating a switchboard standard (you already have a unique IP address). Additionally, an IP-based system can be expanded into areas which have no existing phone infrastructure, such as the Karain region, through the use of WiMax antennae.

Furthermore, just as connecting to a website in Clandonia costs not a dime more than connecting to a website in Edolia, we in Allanea suggest such a system will result in a drop in global phone prices, probably to the same cost of accessing a website (the cost of your Internet connection).

But what we in Allanea suggest will go much further than this mere adaptation of the existing Internet structures to handle Grandma's desire to phone her Grandson Timmy in Prestonia and tell him racist jokes about the Prime Minister.

We believe this opportunity calls for an upgrading of the Havenic Internet infrastructure. The technology exists already to allow every single man, woman, child, and other sapient in Haven access to high-definition television, multimedia productions, and telephony services all over his single home Internet connections. Old-fashioned cable and broadcast media will be superceded by this in the same way the horse (outside Franberry) was superceded by the automobile.

This is not a suggestion for wealthy nations alone. Due to the low cost of WiMax infrastructure, we believe modern Internet communications can be spread to even the most remote Karainese village (if we can stop the locals from eating the construction crews, that is).

In practice, we in Allanea suggest the following measures:



The adaptation, on a voluntary basis, of the use of an IP-based telephone protocol by Haven nations. Most Allanea's phone companies already do this.


The construction, based on a public-private partnership, of a system of backbone-grade Internet communications. Due to the fact that many key CSS members (Derscon, Wagdog, Allanea) reside in Haven, money from the Confederate Budget will be secured for this purpose, so far at the level of 150 billion dollars per year over 10 years, or until the backbone system is constructed. Those nations that permit backbone infrastructure to be spread over their territory (rather than the Havenic seabottom) will benefit, as local labor and business will be secured to construct these portions of the netwrok.


The creation of a Havenic One Laptop Per Child program, centered on the distribution of free, Linux-equipped computers to poor families in Karain an elsewhere. It will be funded on a voluntary basis, but we would like to state that pledges from within Allanea have been secured to fund the distribution of 600,000,000 laptops.


The funding (on a voluntary basis) of Internet Literacy courses and the creation of a WiMax system in undeveloped areas. This will function in tandem with the HOLPC program.


Switching the civilian government computer networks of Havenic states to the use of Open Source Software, and further establishing, at a later date, a Havenic Open Source Foundation for promoting the use of Linux, OpenOffice, and and any and all other Open Source software, specifically towards the goals of reducing the costs of Internet use and interoperability of software across Haven. Should your nation suffer difficulties switching its networks to Linux, I guarantee that Allanea will help, both in installing the new system, and teaching your personnels to use it.

(The White House IT Specialist recommends the use of the Allanean FreedomSuSE operating system, or, failing that, Kubuntu. But if you want your system to be extremely user-friendly and easy to learn, then there's nothing like Gentoo. It is very comfortable in use and takes only 3 commands to install.)


Our final suggestion is to negotiate, and have as many Havenic states as possible sign, a Havenic Agreement on the Promotion of Internet and Computer Use, that will make it easier on Havenic states to set network standards and agree on goals.



Please contact me with your opinion on this memorandum, and your decision on whether to participate in these projects. As you see, few of them will involve any expenditure on your part, and some will even involve you receiving funds and resources from Allanean and Confederate sources.

See you online,

Gentoo T., Ph. D,
White House IT Specialist

Statement of the Commonwealth of Rosdivan Colonial Foreign Affairs Ministry

While the Commonwealth of Rosdivan sees many praise-worthy items in Dr. Gentoo's proposal, we would suggest rather than a regional backbone network of land and sea-based fiberoptics, the construction of large international space stations to serve as telecommunications satellites. Such a solution would be cheaper, in place sooner, and perform faster than any terrestrial solution. Additionally, there are security concerns evident with such a proposal.

We also suggest that, if IP telephony is to be used, that it be implemented in such a manner that it is either alongside current practice or is in the background and invisible to callers, permitting the continued use of current phone numbers. The Commonwealth has no authority or desire to impose such a radical change on its citizens, nor would the economic downsides of the changeover be worth it.

OOC: I hope we're not talking about IPv4 which would hardly be able to service even one Havenic nation >.>
IC post tomorrow night when I get home.

OOC: Sorry for the brevity, short on time atm.

IC:

Official Allanean Response to Rosdivan

We believe we can have both satellites and a fiber-optic system. THe latter is more reliable and capable, while te former is cheaper. With the size of the budget, there's no reason why we can't have both.

We also fully agree with your suggestion regarding 'invisible telephony'.

"The Halladi government's state-owned telecommunications company, HalCom, would be interested in such a project should it gain support among Haven nations."

Hani Nuri
President of HalCom

[OOC: Post forthcoming. We definitely need to consider the physical layer before we consider the actual software layer. Furthermore, I would note that VoIP is rather susceptible to DoS attacks, which would probably put any government off that wants to implement it.]

OOC: VOIP is used in many modern nations on an ever-increasing scale. Also, can we keep OOC talks to the Haven forums thread? Finally, I think everybody agrees the main component of the physical layer need be a FIOS cable, with possibly some satellites.

Northern Questers

Even as the negotiations were still on among the various Haven states, the Allaneans already began to implement part of their plans – specifically those that did not depend on global agreement. Through the border checkpoints in Questers, trucks began to make their ways to the black villages and suburbs of the country. Aboard the vehicles were gifts of a peculiar kind – a million laptops, provided by the Havenic One Laptop Per Child project.

But what the Allaneans donated was more than just the laptops. Riding along with the trucks were volunteers, tasked with helping deploy some of these computers in existing charity schools, to assist with teaching black Questarian children in learning how to read, write, and do basic sums. Others would set up new charity establishment, were black Questarians, young and old, would learn basic computer literacy and even basic programming. From this, one would hope, some of them would go on to a better life.

Even as the first trucks were rolling onto Questarian soil, the chairman of the HOLPC project – coincidentally, CEO of the company that made the cheap computers – was making a triumphant speech to a hall full of excited students of the University of Concord:

Since the nation's inception, Allaneans have struggled for capitalism. Upon a thousand fronts and battlefields, the young people of this nation have shed their blood for the system that secures the right of every Allanean to buy, to sell, to trade and to make profit. People have bled and died for the system of consumerism, for advertisements, for stock markets and Cute Bunny Burger branches – and all of these are beautiful things and they are indeed a value worth killing and dying for.

But capitalism is not about profit – or at least, it is not mainly about profit. Capitalism is the system wherein goods and values are exchanged or transferred among men on a voluntary basis.

The black villages struck the eye of the Allanean volunteers with their unbelievable squalor. In some places, the Questarian blacks inhabited huts not far removed from those of their Karainese cousins. Some homes lacked running water, or glass in their windows, or some other things that a white Questarian – or an Allanean of any race – would consider a necessity.

Yet the Allaneans ventured in. Many of them looked little different from the Questarians that greeted them, for many of the volunteers were recruited in the Orange Republic or other Allanean states that had a majority black population. They were all neatly dressed – though in some cases, their fashion taste would drive a Questarian gentleman into shock – and often bedecked in the famous wide-brimmed 'Stetson hats' that were often the mark of Allanean diplomats, troops, and charity workers.

Soon enough a smiling Sudanese Allanean with a laptop computer would become the very symbol of Allanean charities in Questers, the very embodiment of wha a man could achieve in a free society.

Capitalism, I repeat, is the system wherein goods and values change hands on a voluntary basis. If I walk out of this room and see a legless beggar and give him a sum of money, then I engage in an act of capitalism. If I donate to a charity, I engage in an act of capitalism. If I donate to a group that promotes my views, I engage in an act of capitalism. And the young men and women who are now crossing the border into Questers are also engaging in an act of capitalism – an act of capitalism of the highest order.

* * *

Somewhere in Hallad

In the People's Republic, the Allaneans did not venture directly, as they decided that the Confederate funding can be better spent hiring the services of HalladCo – the nation's public telecommunications giant – to construct the wiring. While the negotiation on the exact type and structure of wiring had not yet been complete, it was also clear that by the time the basic preparations would be complete, the negotiation would be long over. As such, the Allaneans sent out a message to HalladCo.

Comrades!

As you know, the United States Government is spearheading a project of private-public partnership to construct a system of telecommunications to bind the whole of Haven in a system of universal IP communications. As such, we will happily help you to upgrade your system of broadband communications. Specifically, we will pay you (at %20 over the per-mile market cost) to construct six backbone Internet telecommunications lines to link up the four major cities of Hallad. The lines will, of course, be partially redundant – as a matter of fact, these will be de-facto twelve lines along six routes, allowing Hallad to retain use of the system even if up to three quarters the lines suffered catastrophic failure.

Further, we would like you to be prepared to be linked up to multiple international lines that the Allanean government is preparing to fund even as we speak.

As agreement has not been yet reached on the exact type of technology to be used, we would like you to begin earthworks on this project in the meanwhile, and to make purchases of basic equipment.

Finally, and most importantly, we would like to suggest that HavenCo consider switching its phone networks to a VOIP – Voice Over IP – standard, which would enable service commonality and reliability across Haven.

See you online,

Gentoo T., Ph. D,
White House IT Specialist

P.S. Have you considered Linux?

* * *

In the meanwhile, the Allanean government moves in and begins the construction of earthworks to improve telecom structures within Allanea itself. Atlantic Island, Roanoke Island, and the Cloyster Coast Military Camp are the sites of most of the activity.

The African Journal is printed in seven different native languages and also in Afrikaans and English. It is free, sponsored and paid for by wealthy Questarian and foreign philanthropists. Usually it deals with internal affairs of the African populace and a little support gathering for the Liberal Government from time to time, but this month's copy of the African Journal was a little different from most.

It's headline read; 'Capitalism and Free Education' and the subheading followed with 'Capitalism provides what Socialism cannot.' The front image is of a African Questarian classroom of junior school pupils being taught to use their new laptops under the One Laptop Per Child agreement. At the forefront of the image, Prime Minister Benjamin Russell is shaking hands warmly with the HOLPC Chairman.

This month's edition of the African Journal details the efforts of the One Laptop Per Child campaign in Haven which so far has provided numerous schools with not only computers but internet access. It features statements from HOLPC workers, teachers, students, and even the P.M. himself. They read something like this.

Thomas (African), Age 9, Student; "We like our new computers very much. We like the people who give them to us more because they are kind and helpful. It is fun to go to school and I learn many more things. When I pray at night I pray for the nice people who give us these things because I am told they cost alot of money but we do not have to pay a shilling."

Mary (European), Age 25, Volunteer Teacher; "Previously we were somewhat starved for resources, as we had received no Government funds. Naturally the Praetonian lifetime-for-profit school had more resources and produced better results, but without the charity schools we would have half the Africans in education that we do today. We were delighted to hear about this new laptop scheme; and the kids were even more delighted when they arrived. There is so much information on the internet that they can learn from, but we usually use them to teach basic geography and history.

"The kids had hardly heard of Allanea before, except that the school was paid for partially by that country. I was so surprised when they came to me yesterday with money from their parents asking how much it would cost to buy an Allanean flag for the classroom - they had only learnt about flags the week before and the poor dears didn't know these things are not expensive. I can't thank the people at HOLPC enough."

And an extract from the Prime Minister's statement; Clearly this is just an another example of Capitalism at work. The equipment provided to these children was done completely free of cost to their parents or themselves. They will never have to pay a single penny in their lives. When the Socialists says Free Education, they mean a system whereby men are enslaved to pay a percentage of their income to the Government for their entire life in exchange for a number of years at school. When the Capitalists say Free Education, they mean Free Education...

"...Allanean free-market liberalism has done to our African population what no Socialist system could ever hope to provide. Education, knowledge, confidence, these things are mere shadows compared to what it has really provided. It has provided hope, for a hundred thousand people and counting, that their children can grow up to be something more. Something more than serfs, or something more than cogs in an everlasting state bureaucracy. That they can grow to be free men and women in a free society."

To Mr. Gentoo T., Ph. D, (White House IT Specialist),

I have taken your offer into consideration, and after discussion with the Prime Minister and several prominent Commissars, HalCom has been authorised to accept your offer. HalCom is beginning the process of digging earthworks for this project and basic equipment for the designs have been approved for purchase. HalCom is also starting preparation to move to a VOIP standard. We are very pleased to be working with the Allaneans on this project and look forward to bringing Hallad into the greater Havenic system.

In response to your comments regarding Linux, we have indeed looked into this software. Since its early inception, with strong opposition to funding such corporations as MicroSoft, our company has created a number of specialised OS's from the linux model. Linux is perhaps the most widespread OS used in Hallad.

Sincerely,

Hani Nuri
President of HalCom

Statement by CellMon CEO Salman Laqwai
CellMon Believes that a unified Havenic communications network, coupled with joint standards based on IP Telephony are not only a good idea, but a necessary step towards better intra-Havenic relations and a higher quality of living for all Havenic peoples. As a responsible member of the Havenic Socio-Economic sphere, We believe it is our duty to our shareholders and the people of Haven to pledge our support both to a unified Havenic communications network, and to the one laptop per child initiative.
As part of this responsibility, we hereby pledge 500,000,000usd to the one laptop per child initiative and to make necessary changes and upgrades to our satellite communications network to make it compliant with new standards.

Furthermore, We urge that other Havenic telecoms interests make similar pledges to this initiative.

Press Release of the White House IT Specialist, regarding the physical specifications of HavenNet

After consideration of the opinion of our Halladi and Praetonian contacts, we decided to link the new Havenic Internet Backbone to the existing network of Praetonian commercial lines. We will herefore begin creation of a standard for Havenic Backbone Cable, which will allow us to begin laying multiply-redundant lengths of HCB, each with a bandwidth of 1 pbps. In total each Havenic Backbone Cable Route will allow us to maintain an amazing bandwidth 10 pbps at the backbone. We estimate the costs of laying this cable to be $3000 per kilometer of undersea cable and $150 per kilometer of land-based cable.

Given the huge amount of potential customers – in other words, there's a lot of people in Haven – the use of the IPv4 standard is not really viable on a Havenic scale. As such, we call for all Haven residents to adopt the use of an IPv6, future-safe, standard of communications.

We will begin the construction of the following projects:



Roanoke-Mondoth Cable – really, two cable routesof Havenic Backbone Cable, each 13,500 kilometers in length. The construction costs will be only of 85,000,000 dollars and will be funded, on a charity basis, by the Liberty Networks Corporation in coordination with the Allanean government.

The Halladi Cable System, that will include the laying of approximately 10,000 kilometers of ground-based backbone cable within the Worker's Republic Hallad (to which end, 10 million dollars will be donated by Alexander Kazansky himself), and the creation of the Halladi-Roanoke Cable, which will be the first system of international communications to link Allanea and Hallad directly, and to which the Confederate Budget will contribute 10 million dollars.

The Questarian Cable System, involving an overland cable through Questers 5,100 kilometers in length,, for which the President of Allanea will contribute two million dollars, and an Axackal Sea Cable, which will be, at the present, 8,000 kilometers and length, and funded through the Confederate Budget at the costs of $30,000,000. Questarian companies and workers will be contracted to do the work.



On the HOLPC front, I am pleased to report that we are now sending 10 million HOLPC laptops will be sent to the Praetonian Orient, to be distributed to poor children, schools, and orphanages. They also report having received 500 million dollars from the Mondothians, which will be used to hire a veritable army of 10,000 Allanean Freemen and 10,000 Praetonians for the duration of 12 months, to teach reading, writing, and basic computer literacy to the locals in that area of Karain, as well as to instruct local schoolmasters in the best ways to enhance their schools with HOLPC computers. Finally, 1,000,000 Karainese families will be given Internet connections paid for by this generous donation.

Other news will be sent out as they occur.

See you online,

Gentoo T., Ph. D,
White House IT Specialist

_____

Gentoo Linux – Stable, Fast, User-Friendly since 2002.

Chruatia has decided to allow Havenic One Laptop Per Child in small scale at town of Vrbnik. If the Vrbnik Project is succesful, then it may be expanded over the rest of Independent State of Chruatia.

Chruatian Foreign Ministry

In the meanwhile, the Havenic One Laptop Per Child project was keeping up its hard work. While President Alexander Kazansky has used his Confederate Banking Corporation dividends to pay for the laptops that the company was distributing, the other functions were up to the ptooject membership to accomplish. And so, even now, the President of the HOLPC Foundation was sitting at his table, writing a letter to Franco Silvestre Navarro, the foreign minister of Franberry.

Your Excellency!

As you know, in these very days, the Havenic nations are working very hard to improve the access of ordinary Havenites to computers and modern technology. Surely, as a wise statesman, you cannot be completely without concern for this issue. We at the Havenic One Laptop Per Child Foundation understand your concerns – and we are ready to help.

We would like you to allow Allanean volunteers to visit your country, and to distribute free laptop computers – albeit of a basic design – to the poor children of Franberry. We will also deliver many of these to Franberry's schools, and instruct teachers in the ways to deploy the advantage of these computers for their lessons. Further, we'll provide lessons in basic computer literacy to your citizenry, free of charge.

Surely you will kindly allow us to come to your nation and attempt this noble project.

Yours sincerely,
Frederick Gaines,
President, HOPLC Foundation

P.S. I am sending you with this letter a gold-plated pisto and a small box of tea. The pistol is a Roanoke Armories Custom Browning. Every part of it is individually made, and it has been factory-tested for accuracy. The tea is the Stossel Te Royal, Allanea's most elite tea. It is the same tea consumed by multiple nation's royal families. I hope you enjoy it.

In the meanwhile, a flight to the town of Vrbnik was sent out. It carried several hundred laptops and sixteen volunteers. Leading tem was an elderly man called Eugene Mikhonsky. He spoke Chruatian (though badly) and was a former school headmaster. It was his job to coordinate the actions of the other volunteers with the Chruatian authorities, and especially with local school personnel.

The other men were chosen, in part, not just for being good at what they did, but also for being religious Christians. Not all of them were catholic, but it was hoped that they would at least not offend the locals with their habits as many a secular Allanean could. They dressed in conservative suits, and the only way they would stand out would be their large, broad-brimmed Stetson hats.

"The Halladi government, in solidarity with our working-class comrades throughout Haven, will donate three hundred million dollars [$300,000,000] to the HOLPC programme. In addition, we have several hundred teachers, doctors, and nurses who have volunteered to go to these areas to help distribute laptops and educate the locals by giving them a world-class Halladi education. Several prominent Islamic charities have also expressed interest in help this programme."

Halladi Commissariat of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs

Official Announcement of the Allanean Government

An Allanean-Otagian branch of the Havenic Backbone System is now under construction.

Patriotic Chruatian citizens have helped authorities to discover spy network inside our glorius nation. These are those same Allaneans that offered us a "gift" of those laptops, and pretended like they would do it with good intentions. All Chruatians feel anger in heart because of such terrible betrayal. While generally foreign spies are hanged as they deserve, Independent State of Chruatia has decided to show generosity. All Allanean spies will be immediately expelled and sent back to Allanea, they are prohibited from entering to Chruatia ever again.

Chruatian Foreign Ministry

[OOC: ups logged in with wrong nation, previous post belonged to this one]