Guest blogger Darrell Owen is an international consultant specializing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in developing countries. Prior to forming his own company, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. This week, he will present some of his on-the-ground experiences at the Silicon Valley Challenge Summit.

Over this last year, a number of my colleagues and I have been engaged in on-the-ground pilots proving that the combination of wireless networks (WiFi, WiMax, new generation IP-based satellite services) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) can cost-effectively reach low-income, rural and even remote locations.  This brings the potential of the Internet telecommunications revolution to the billions who have been left behind.  Details of this work can be found in a collection of my working papers (pdf).

The experience has been real and tangible.  I personally have stood in a remote post office in northern Vietnam and, with a WiFi phone, made a VOIP phone call to my wife in Sunriver, OR.  Months earlier I experienced a similar situation on the receiving side—a colleague in Mongolia called me in Sunriver.  Not only is this now technologically possible, but it is also economically feasible, enabling sustainable solutions that fully integrate with existing public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) and mobile phone networks.

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One World Projects was founded by Phil Smith, a pioneer in the Fair Trade world before it was hot. Originally conceived as a sustainable alternative for communities living in rainforest areas, Phil worked directly with communities to create crafts from renewable resources and then sold them to the US market.

The company has grown and changed over the years to become an established player in the Fair Trade crafts arena. Phil and his partner, Liz Wald, now work with more than 11,000 artisans in more 20 than developing countries. OWP has been working longer than most of its competitors, creating long-lasting relationships that truly transform communities.

In the now-trendy world of fair trade, OWP penetrates deeper and has a more holistic approach than almost anyone else. From a development perspective, they treat producers as partners rather than just suppliers, working closely with them on issues of quality and design rather than dropping them or not accepting shipments if they aren't right the first time around. From an environmental perspective, they mainly source products from renewable or recycled resources.

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