[liberationtech] Kazakhstan

Sun Dec 18 10:07:29 PST 2011

Hey,

I haven't been able to check all available sources but just as the first
info got posted here I got a distress call from a substantial and trusted
western isp which was forced to close their Internet services. I have also
seen reports of ppl not responding on Twitter, Facebook etc. It could ofc
be a temporary or local disruptance but it cannot harm to learn a bit and
prepare setups which could relieve at least a bit.

Anyway, just in case, there are some modem connections setup to ensure that
there at least will be a glimpse of connectivity if needed (and possible).

Atm, verified and trusted connections are available at

French free isp FDN (about 100 lines):  +33172890150 (login/pass: toto/toto)

Swedish isp Gotanet (about 30 lines atm, can expand services) :+46708671911
(login/pass: toto/toto)

German isp Free.de is also preparing to launch dialup services afaik.

These connections should be possible to use from other locations aswell, so
distribute them as you wish.

Upon request also basic tech security manuals will be prepared for
distribution in Kz. If you want to pitch in, join #freekz at
irc.telecomix.org (tech skill for input, adapting readability and knowledge
of Russian language is needed I guess).

/Marcin
Den 18 dec 2011 18:50 skrev "Collin Anderson" <collin at averysmallbird.com>:

> Libtech,
>
> I don't believe there has been any clarification on the scope of the
> outage. As far as I am aware, the blackout solely applies to Zhanaozen, a
> remote city of 50 000, and not the entirety of the country or even a
> subregion. Correct?
>
> Collin
>
> On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 12:36 PM, Andrew Lewis <andrew at pdqvpn.com> wrote:
>
>> Yeah each base station is several grand, but is 3G data available in
>> general and in wide use? I guess what I am looking for is a general idea of
>> how someone in Kazakhstan accesses the net, is it via DSL at home, 3G on
>> the go or at cyber cafes? Also what counties have low intl calling
>> rates(which I can look up, but as an example of a tidbit that'd help) and
>> what is or isn't blocked like VPNs or VoIP.
>>
>> -Andrew
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 18, 2011, at 12:12 PM, planetary <planetary at plntry.net> wrote:
>>
>> Not sure how addressible that approach is given astronomical cost and
>> bulk of commercial equipment, skills required, operational interaction
>> required for secure 3G AuthN/AuthZ, and the dependency on a stable IP
>> network interface.  And is incurs the "bullseye" risk of a series of
>> central physical targets that would take down the hub of any network you
>> established.
>>
>> Have seen this done with short-range GPRS RAN setups on basically
>> friendly ground where everyone knew / trusted each other and had a stable
>> IP network interface (it's an annual feature of any decent hackercon), but
>> believe there's a reason many-to-many mesh networks with weak ID / strong
>> encryption have been the pattern in situations where that's not the case.
>>
>> On Dec 18, 11, at 9:01 AM, Katy Pearce ucsb wrote:
>>
>> PS, my QUICK answer to the question of the easiest way to get internet to
>> KZ, without knowing the costs involved, would be to setup alternative
>> cellular towers and make 3G flash drives and/ SIM cards that would make
>> tethering available for it. 3G flash cards are a VERY common way to get
>> online as is tethering across KZ and other countries in the region.
>> On Dec 18, 2011 11:58 AM, "Katy Pearce ucsb" <kpearce at umail.ucsb.edu>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Andrew.
>>>
>>> There isn't a ton available (or at least there wasn't when I last
>>> checked 2 years ago), but if you can tell me what would be useful for you,
>>> I can try to pull some stuff together. Are you looking for a fiber map or
>>> something more like what isps exist or what sort of filtering system are
>>> used?
>>>
>>> Alternatively, you can find a decent summary (sometimes) with the Budde
>>> Comm reports. They're about $300 and most of the info is publicly
>>> available, but they do an okay job with keeping up with the fiber being put
>>> down.
>>>
>>> Just let me know and I can try to help.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Katy
>>> On Dec 18, 2011 11:53 AM, "Andrew Lewis" <andrew at pdqvpn.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Does anyone know what the telecom infrastructure and setup looks like
>>>> in Kz? Knowing what is available or how it is deployed would help guide
>>>> us(Telecomix in my case) towards solutions that better fit the actual
>>>> situation, rather then our current unguided efforts involving dial up.
>>>>
>>>> -Andrew
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Dec 17, 2011, at 9:19 AM, Katy Pearce <katy at katypearce.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Yes, much of Central Asia depends on Internet via Kazakhstan.
>>>>
>>>> There are some sat phone internet efforts that I know of, but I'll
>>>> touch base again after asking some friends...
>>>> On Dec 17, 2011 9:17 AM, "Rebecca MacKinnon" <
>>>> rebecca.mackinnon at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Some members of this list may have seen news of the government
>>>>> crackdown in Kazakhstan.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/17/kazakhstan-investigate-violence-oil-rich-western-region
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/17/us-kazakhstan-clashes-idUSTRE7BG08D20111217
>>>>>
>>>>> Excerpt from the HRW report:
>>>>> "The government has apparently shut down access to at least some
>>>>> mobile, voice, and text services in Zhanaozen. By late afternoon, Human
>>>>> Rights Watch could no longer reach workers by mobile phone, and access to
>>>>> Twitter.com and other news sites reporting on the unrest had been
>>>>> blocked by the authorities. “Without a means to communicate with the
>>>>> outside world, people in Zhanaozen are extremely vulnerable,” Rittmann
>>>>> said."
>>>>>
>>>>> Is anybody aware of efforts to set up dial-up access, satellite
>>>>> internet access, ad hoc radio or wireless networks  or anything for
>>>>> Kazakhstan? I'm hearing rumors (unconfirmed) that shutdown of Internet and
>>>>> some mobile services may extend beyond Zhanaozen.
>>>>>
>>>>> If anybody is aware of any efforts underway please let me know either
>>>>> on or off-list. I know some people who may be interested in supporting such
>>>>> efforts but they don't know who to approach.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Rebecca
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>    --
>>>>> Rebecca MacKinnon
>>>>> Schwartz Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
>>>>> Cofounder: GlobalVoicesOnline.org
>>>>> Author: ConsentoftheNetworked.com
>>>>> Office: +1-202-596-3343
>>>>> Twitter: @rmack
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>
>
>
> --
> *Collin David Anderson*
> averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
>
>
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