A Human Right

A Human Right was a United States-based nonprofit organization that pursued universal access to basic communications. Its stated focus was providing free or affordable internet and telephone connectivity to people in developing countries, as well as to populations whose governments had restricted or disabled communications. The organization treated communications access as a practical human-rights and development issue: access to information could help communities address shortages in food, clean water, health care, education, and other essential services. The organization became associated with Kosta Grammatis, who developed its satellite-access concept after a meeting in Berlin involving approximately thirty people under the age of thirty. Grammatis described the gathering as a “do tank,” emphasizing practical action rather than discussion alone. The central proposal was to acquire TerreStar-1, a communications satellite whose owner, TerreStar Corporation, had entered bankruptcy proceedings. In December 2010, A Human Right launched the Buy This Satellite fundraising effort to support the proposed acquisition and repurpose the satellite for humanitarian connectivity. The satellite plan envisioned placing a communications resource in geosynchronous orbit over Africa. A Human Right proposed using the satellite to supply free low-bandwidth internet access to African countries while generating operating revenue by selling or reselling higher-speed bandwidth. This blended model was intended to support continuing operations without charging the poorest users. The organization also worked on the concept of an open-source, low-cost modem to reduce the equipment barrier for people who could not afford conventional internet access. The organization’s communications-shutdown work was particularly influenced by the 2011 Egyptian protests, during which the Egyptian government interrupted internet and telephone services. A Human Right presented resilient external connectivity as a way to help citizens communicate when national authorities cut or restricted access. Its mission therefore combined development-oriented connectivity with a civil-liberties concern: preserving the ability to communicate independently of state-controlled infrastructure. A related infrastructure effort involved the proposed South Atlantic Express, or SAex, submarine communications cable linking South Africa and Angola with Brazil and onward connections to the United States. The originally planned route narrowly missed Saint Helena. The cable project was subsequently reported as successful, with its path changed in mid-2012. The available reference material does not establish the precise legal or operational relationship between A Human Right and the cable project. A Human Right was discontinued in 2016. The available sources do not provide a complete account of its corporate or nonprofit structure, funding totals, employee base, final operating activities, or the outcome of every proposed infrastructure project. Its documented legacy is chiefly the effort to frame affordable connectivity, satellite communications, open hardware, and communications resilience as tools for humanitarian and civic empowerment.

A Human Right emerged as a nonprofit project centered on the idea that communications access is a basic condition for social and economic self-determination. Rather than treating internet access solely as a commercial service, the organization approached it as infrastructure with humanitarian and civic value. Its target users included people in developing countries who lacked reliable connectivity and citizens living under governments that had deliberately restricted or disabled communications. The organization’s best-known initiative was Buy This Satellite, launched in December 2010. The project sought to acquire TerreStar-1 after TerreStar Corporation filed for bankruptcy. The concept was associated with founder Kosta Grammatis and developed from a Berlin meeting of roughly thirty people under thirty. Grammatis characterized the gathering as a “do tank,” reflecting an emphasis on implementing technical and social solutions. The proposed satellite model focused on Africa: a satellite in geosynchronous orbit would provide wide-area coverage, potentially delivering basic internet access to regions that terrestrial infrastructure did not adequately serve. A Human Right proposed a cross-subsidy approach to sustainability. Low-bandwidth internet would be offered free to users, while higher-speed bandwidth could be sold or resold to generate revenue for satellite operation. The organization also explored an open-source, inexpensive modem so that the cost of user equipment would not prevent participation. This combination of shared infrastructure, free basic service, and open hardware was intended to address both network scarcity and affordability. The organization also connected its mission to political communications resilience. The 2011 Egyptian protests, during which the government shut down internet and telephone access, served as a prominent example of the vulnerability of nationally controlled communications systems. A Human Right argued that independent satellite connectivity could help people communicate when authorities cut off conventional networks. This gave the project a dual identity: a development initiative for underserved regions and a potential safeguard against state communications blackouts. A further infrastructure reference concerns the South Atlantic Express submarine cable, known as SAex. The proposed cable would link South Africa and Angola to Brazil, with onward connectivity to the United States. The original route narrowly missed Saint Helena, and the route was changed in mid-2012 after the project was reported as successful. The available reference does not fully document A Human Right’s ownership, financing, or operational role in SAex, so the project should not be treated as definitively owned or operated by the organization. A Human Right was discontinued in 2016. The sources available for this entry do not establish the exact date of formation, the organization’s legal registration details, the amount of money raised, whether TerreStar-1 was ultimately acquired, or the complete status of its modem and cable initiatives. The organization remains notable for combining humanitarian objectives with satellite communications, open-source hardware, and opposition to communications shutdowns.

• 2016

  Organization discontinued

  [1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  A Human Right ceased operating, according to the reference article.

• 2012

  South Atlantic Express route changed

  [1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  The planned route of the SAex submarine cable was changed after the project was reported as successful.

• 2011

  Egyptian internet shutdown shapes the mission

  [1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  The communications blackout during the Egyptian protests highlighted the organization's proposed role in providing connectivity independent of government-controlled networks.

• 2010

  Buy This Satellite launched

  [1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  A Human Right began a fundraising effort to acquire TerreStar-1 after the satellite's owner entered bankruptcy proceedings.

A Human Right positioned itself as a practical communications-access nonprofit, using satellite, submarine-cable, and open-source hardware concepts to extend basic connectivity to underserved communities and preserve communication during state-imposed shutdowns.

• Satellite connectivity campaign · 2010

  Buy This Satellite

  Buy This Satellite was A Human Right's principal public initiative. Launched in December 2010, it sought support for purchasing TerreStar-1 after TerreStar Corporation entered bankruptcy proceedings. The proposed humanitarian use was to place the satellite in geosynchronous orbit over Africa and provide free low-bandwidth internet access. Higher-speed bandwidth would potentially be sold or resold to help fund operations. The available source does not confirm that the acquisition was completed.

• Connectivity hardware

  Open-source low-cost modem

  The organization worked on the concept of an open-source, low-cost modem intended to make satellite or other communications access more affordable. The modem formed part of a broader strategy to reduce the equipment costs that prevent low-income users from accessing networks. Available material does not establish whether a finished commercial or field-deployed product was released.

• Submarine communications cable · 2012

  South Atlantic Express

  South Atlantic Express, or SAex, was a proposed submarine communications cable connecting South Africa and Angola to Brazil, with onward connectivity to the United States. The source describes a route change in mid-2012 and reports the project as successful, but it does not clearly establish A Human Right's ownership, sponsorship, or operating role. It is therefore best treated as a related infrastructure initiative rather than a confirmed organizational product.

• 2010Buy This Satellite

  Africa · Developing countries · Global fundraising

  A Human Right sought to raise support to purchase TerreStar-1 and repurpose it for humanitarian communications. The plan centered on free basic internet access, with paid higher-speed bandwidth helping finance ongoing operation.

  Outcome. The available source does not confirm that the satellite was acquired or that the proposed service became operational.

  Source

• 2012

  Support or association with South Atlantic Express infrastructure effortOther

  Background

  The proposed SAex cable was intended to connect southern Africa with Brazil and onward routes to the United States.

  Action taken

  The cable's planned path was changed in mid-2012 after the project was reported as successful.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not specify A Human Right's exact role, ownership interest, or operational responsibility.

  Source

• 2011

  Emphasize communications resilience during government shutdownsStrategy

  Background

  The Egyptian government's interruption of internet and telephone services during the 2011 protests demonstrated the risks of relying exclusively on nationally controlled communications networks.

  Action taken

  A Human Right incorporated independent connectivity for populations affected by government shutdowns into its stated mission.

  Aftermath

  The source presents this as a mission rationale and does not document a specific deployment resulting from it.

  Source

• 2010

  Adopt satellite-based humanitarian connectivity strategyStrategy

  Background

  The organization sought a way to extend internet and telephone access to regions without adequate terrestrial infrastructure and to people affected by communications restrictions.

  Action taken

  It proposed acquiring TerreStar-1 and positioning the satellite over Africa, combining free low-bandwidth access with the sale or resale of higher-speed bandwidth.

  Aftermath

  The public record available here does not establish whether the acquisition or operating model was completed.

  Source

• 2016

  A Human Right discontinued[1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization was discontinued. Publicly available reference material does not specify the circumstances of its closure or provide a detailed final accounting of its projects.

• 2012

  South Atlantic Express cable route changed[1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  The planned route of the SAex submarine communications cable was changed after the project was reported as successful. The proposed system would connect South Africa and Angola with Brazil and onward connectivity to the United States.

• 2011

  Egyptian communications shutdown influences A Human Right's connectivity mission[1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  Other · Regulation

  The internet and telephone shutdown during the Egyptian protests reinforced the organization's interest in connectivity that could remain available when governments restrict national communications infrastructure.

• 2010

  A Human Right launches Buy This Satellite fundraising effort[1]A Human Righten.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Product launch · Other

  A Human Right launched a campaign to raise support for acquiring TerreStar-1 after TerreStar Corporation entered bankruptcy proceedings. The proposed use was humanitarian satellite connectivity, particularly for underserved regions.

1. 1A Human Righten.wikipedia.org