Proposal

APrIGF 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form
Part 1 - Lead Organizer
Contact Person
Mr. Matthew J
Email
Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) *
Distant Curve
Designation
Managing Director
Gender
Male
Economy of Residence
Australia
Stakeholder Group
Private Sector
Part 2 - Session Proposal
Session Title
Powering Sustainable Connectivity: curveIQ's Low-Cost Solution for Remote Telecom Sites
Thematic Track of Your Session

  • Option

    • Primary: Innovation & Emerging Technologies
    • Secondary: Not necessary
Description of Session Formats
The Pitch (20 minutes)
Where do you plan to organize your session?
Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants)
Specific Issues for Discussion
Remote telecommunications infrastructure in underserved areas faces critical sustainability challenges.

Solar-powered sites, vital for connectivity, grapple with high failure rates and operational costs driven by battery degradation and inefficient energy management. Traditional approaches struggle with harsh environments (e.g., high heat, humidity, variable sunlight) and complex battery chemistries like Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) or Lead Acid.

Key issues include:

1. Premature Battery Failure: Dominated by calendar aging accelerated by temperature extremes and suboptimal state-of-charge management, leading to frequent, costly replacements and site downtime.

2. Energy Inefficiency: Significant power wasted on unnecessary active cooling (e.g., air conditioning) and inefficient charging/float strategies, demanding larger, costlier solar arrays and batteries.

3. Operational Complexity & Cost: Maintaining cell balance in battery banks and managing sites remotely is complex, requiring skilled technicians and increasing operational expenditure (OPEX), hindering deployment in low-resource economies.

This session will introduce curveIQ, an overarching control system designed to tackle these issues head-on.

We will discuss its field-tested, algorithmic approach to thermal management using passive cooling, depth-of-discharge optimization using cloud forecasts, intelligent cell balancing, and efficient float strategies.

We will also discuss its other capabilities, including direct innovations pertaining to telecommunications site security and redundancy.

The focus is on how these innovations demonstrably extend hardware lifespan, reduce energy waste, lower OPEX, and enhance site resilience, making remote telecom deployments more viable and sustainable across diverse economic contexts.
Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF
curveIQ directly contributes to APrIGF's core theme of fostering an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Internet across the Asia Pacific. Its relevance lies in:

1. Enabling Connectivity in Underserved Areas: By dramatically improving the reliability and reducing the lifetime cost of solar-powered telecom sites – the backbone of connectivity in remote/rural regions – curveIQ tackles a fundamental barrier to universal access. This aligns with tracks focused on Access & Inclusion and Infrastructure & Technology.

2. Promoting Sustainable Internet Infrastructure: The system optimizes energy use, minimizes electronic waste through extended hardware lifespan (particularly critical batteries), and leverages renewable energy more efficiently. This contributes directly to discussions on Environmental Sustainability and Green ICT within Internet governance.

3. Cost-Effective & Adaptable Solutions: Designed with affordability and broad applicability in mind (sub-$250 hardware cost, flexible subscription model), curveIQ offers a practical pathway for deployment in developing economies. Its integration with open-source tools (like Home Assistant via MQTT) lowers barriers and fosters local innovation, supporting Capacity Building and Community Networks themes.

Expected Outcomes: Attendees will gain a clear understanding of a novel, field-proven solution addressing critical infrastructure sustainability challenges. The session will:

* Highlight the impact of intelligent control systems on reducing digital divides.

* Stimulate discussion on policy and investment needs to support such sustainable, low-OPEX technologies.

* Spark potential collaborations for deploying curveIQ within the APAC region, fostering partnerships between innovators, operators, and communities to build more resilient and accessible networks.
Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right)
Time frame (e.g. 5 minutes, 20 minutes, should add up to the time limit of your selected session format) Description
2 minutes Problem Hook: Brief, vivid overview of the critical challenges facing remote solar telecom sites: premature battery failure (heat/SOC), energy waste, high OPEX, and complexity hindering connectivity in underserved APAC regions.
6 minutes curveIQ Solution Showcase: Clear explanation of what curveIQ is (overarching control system) and how its core innovations solve the problems: 1. Smart Thermal/Battery Mgmt (Passive cooling, Cloud-forecast SOC, Cell balancing). 2. Results: Doubled battery life, ~30% reduced PV/battery capex needs, lower OPEX. 3. Open Integration (MQTT/Home Assistant). Includes brief demo visuals (Diagrams 1,3,5) & mentions APNIC field validation.
2 mins The Model & APAC Relevance: Explain affordability (sub-$250 hardware cost) and sustainable access (flexible subscription model based on local economy capacity). Highlight design for broad applicability (tropical to desert) and current partnerships (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bc1eVKQgu/).
3 mins Call to Action & Q&A: 1. Summarize key benefit: Enabling sustainable, affordable connectivity. 2. Direct call: "Seeking partners for pilot deployments & collaboration within APAC." 3. Moderated Q&A addressing key concerns (cost model, scalability, developing economy fit).
2 mins Further Engagement: Distribute contact info (URL/QR code). Facilitator directs interested parties to speaker post-session.
Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required)

  • Moderator (Primary)

    • Name: Matthew J
    • Organization: Distant Curve
    • Designation: Director
    • Gender: M
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Australia
    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Moderator (Facilitator)

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Speaker 1

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Speaker 2

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Speaker 3

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Speaker 4

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One

  • Speaker 5

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One
Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session.
Matthew owns Distant Curve and developed the technology.
Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2025.
No
Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2025?
No
Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below:
Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger.
Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers)
    Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers)
      Consent
      I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2025.