CHOGM, hotels, police cameras... e.t.c.
Just under a week ago, one of the single biggest gathering of heads of state, presidents and prime ministers took place in Kampala, Uganda. It was the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Under the leadership of the Queen of The United Kingdom of Northern Ireland and Great Britain, usually mistaken to be the Queen of England, CHOGM happens once every two years and meetings rotate among the capitals of the over fifty former British colonies and protectorates.
It was a major security task for Uganda and it was telling enough even for the not-so-keen observer. The security people did a wonderful job and the CHOGM ended in tranquility.
As a technology person, my main point of interest was how the authorities concerned were prepared to provide this multitude of VIPs with "connectivity". I happened to check out a couple of newly built "CHOGM hotels", and naturally, started talking connectivity to the Internet and TV channels with the guy in charge.
I was impressed to know that a local Telco was providing a pipe of about 2 Meg of Internet bandwidth. I was shocked to learn that TV entertainment was not well planned. These guys were putting an STB in every one of the over 150 rooms! On further inquiry about this, the techie in charge said there is no way to allow each room to freely surf the channels other than that.
That was a lie from a tech guy. I told him so. There are many solutions but as it appeared, the wrong guy had the job! Ever heard of Cisco Systems, techie? Why put a box on each set in each room when you can put one box somewhere and distribute to all rooms?
As the CHOGM meeting ended, we were left under the prying eyes of the cameras installed by police in all corners of the city! People in the media cry big brother. Don't worry. There's an even biiiigger biiiig broooother... Google Maps!
.
Under the leadership of the Queen of The United Kingdom of Northern Ireland and Great Britain, usually mistaken to be the Queen of England, CHOGM happens once every two years and meetings rotate among the capitals of the over fifty former British colonies and protectorates.
It was a major security task for Uganda and it was telling enough even for the not-so-keen observer. The security people did a wonderful job and the CHOGM ended in tranquility.
As a technology person, my main point of interest was how the authorities concerned were prepared to provide this multitude of VIPs with "connectivity". I happened to check out a couple of newly built "CHOGM hotels", and naturally, started talking connectivity to the Internet and TV channels with the guy in charge.
I was impressed to know that a local Telco was providing a pipe of about 2 Meg of Internet bandwidth. I was shocked to learn that TV entertainment was not well planned. These guys were putting an STB in every one of the over 150 rooms! On further inquiry about this, the techie in charge said there is no way to allow each room to freely surf the channels other than that.
That was a lie from a tech guy. I told him so. There are many solutions but as it appeared, the wrong guy had the job! Ever heard of Cisco Systems, techie? Why put a box on each set in each room when you can put one box somewhere and distribute to all rooms?
As the CHOGM meeting ended, we were left under the prying eyes of the cameras installed by police in all corners of the city! People in the media cry big brother. Don't worry. There's an even biiiigger biiiig broooother... Google Maps!
.
Labels: politics
posted by Frank Mubiru | 7:55 PM
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