Solar-powered handsets a boon for Haiti

The Telegraph reports that though cell phone networks were up and working within days in earth shaken Haiti, the crucial issue for many was not being unable to communicate, it was being able to keep their phones charged.

Some entrepreneurs immediately saw a business opportunity – thousands were prepared to pay for 15 minutes connected to a car battery to recharge their mobiles.

Dutch mobile phone firm Intivation, however, has long realised that its solar powered handsets were a solution to the problems of Haiti’s unreliable infrastructure. Mobile phones that use this technology have been deployed worldwide since 2009, predominantly in regions that do not have reliable electricity girds. Over half a million of these devices have been sold worldwide in the last six months.

And Intivation donated 1,000 of its solar-powered handset to the earthquake-stricken Caribbean country.

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emily | 5:09 PM | News, Buzz, Technology |
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