Needs moar Internet
TL;DR: This is a quick update on the Internet connection at the venue. Maybe we could use your help.
The problem
The venue itself only has a tiny 2 Mb/s DSL connection that won’t help us much and our efforts to get partners for a decent and affordable or sponsored alternative have not succeeded so far. We’ve had contact with NetCologne, T-Mobile and Vodafone, but we couldn’t reach the right people there for our type of event.
The current solutions
We found a service provider that will provide us with hardware to bundle multiple LTE and other Internet sources. However, in addition to the rental costs for the hardware, we’d need to pay ~8.50€ per GB for LTE data beyond an allowance of 50GB, which might exceed our budget rather quickly.
We’re also looking at the option of a directional wi-fi connection from somewhere with a better uplink, but it’s not easy to get access to a tall building within sight of the venue.
Can you help?
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Do you have any contacts at one of the big LTE/UMTS providers in Germany and could help RailsCamp get sponsored SIM cards for the weekend, or a proper discount on traffic costs?
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Do you know somebody with access to a taller building in Köln Kalk to place a directional antenna?
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Do you have any other idea how to get decent, affordable Internet to a remote urban location?
Details are available on the according GitHub issue, which is also the best way for you to contribute. Thanks!