Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) Workshop on Environmental Monitoring Begins at Prime College

Prime College, in joint collaboration with the Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) and ICT4D, and with support from the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), has commenced a five-day international workshop on Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) for Environmental Monitoring. The program has brought together over 35 participants from Nepal, as well as regional fellows and representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. This international workshop serves as a technical platform for learning and knowledge exchange in resilient networking technologies, with a focus on maintaining connectivity in environments where conventional internet infrastructure is unreliable or unavailable.

The technology is particularly relevant for Nepal’s mountainous and remote regions, offering critical applications in environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and climate sensing. The workshop opened with inspiring remarks from Vint Cerf and Dr.Mahabir Pun, who is renowned for his work with the Nepal Wireless Networking Project. Reflecting on his journey to connect remote villages, Dr. Pun stated, “What people once called crazy became a network connecting thousands of villages,” emphasizing the power of persistence and innovation in overcoming geographical barriers. Both speakers highlighted the necessity of expanding access to technology for underserved communities through systems that operate effectively in challenging environments.

Technical sessions are being led by renowned ICTP resource persons Marco Zennaro, Samo Grasic, and Scott Burleigh, alongside local facilitators. A special Day 2 session was conducted by internationally recognized network analyst and educator Laura Chappell, who provided advanced insights into packet analysis and protocol troubleshooting. Throughout the week, participants are engaging in hands-on workshops exploring DTN architecture and real-world deployments.

By hosting this global event, Prime College reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, international collaboration, and the development of innovative solutions to real-world challenges through emerging technologies.