[ripe-list] "Keep Ukraine Connected" initiative

Dear RIPE community,

Apology in advance for possible duplicates of this information and/or long email :)

At GNA (Global NOG Alliance) we started a new initiative (or a task force)
called "Keep Ukraine Connected", aiming at mobilizing global technical community
to support Ukrainian operators and community with donating and delivering
hardware that they need to keep the light on and Internet connectivity available
in the country.

https://nogalliance.org/our-task-forces/keep-ukraine-connected/

This is a completely non political initiative that is just aimed to help keeping
the information accessible to people in distress.

We at GNA are in close contact with The Ukrainian Internet Association (UIA) and
National Commission for the State Regulation of electronic communications,
radiofrequency spectrum and the provision of postal services amd also with their
association of business ISPs. They are coordinating the effort on their side
with operators and people on the ground, providing us with the current needs.
This is a partial list of what we are looking for right now:

Specific requests:
Wifi Soho (TP-Link, Netis, Mikrotik, etc)
Wi-fi Backbone/Backhole (Mikrotik, Mimosa, Ubiquiti)
Access switches (PoE preferred) (Any brand)
Core switches (Any brand)
Power generators (Any brand)

General needs:
Starlink satellite systems
Wifi access points
Wifi P2P systems
Routers
Switches
Fiber repair tools (splicers, cleavers)
Q/SFP modules
Servers
Walkie-Talkies

It's probably redundant to stress out that all donated equipment needs to be in
full working order, because people on the ground does not have time to figure
out how to repair stuff at the moment.

We are also accepting money donations at the web page mentioned above that will
be used for some costs of logistics of transport and also to buy the most needed
equipment that we'll not get through hardware donations from the community that
we are collecting at warehouse in Germany.

How will this work?
We have access to a truck based in Germany, and volunteer drivers. We will
coordinate filling the truck with the technology bought with your donations,
along with the donations of network equipment we have received from the
community, then drive that truck to the Ukraine border. Our chair, René
Fichtmüller, has already made the journey once — albeit with a more regular
cargo of donations.

For all questions and/or suggestions, please send an email to
ukraine at nogalliance.org.

We appreciate anything you can do to help out. Thank you!

Best, Jan Žorž
on behalf of Global NOG alliance and our contacts in Ukraine