Canada: Ontario student invents device to expand internet access in rural areas

Erfan Nouraee, 21, unveils his game-changing light particle sensor technology.

Erfan Nouraee is working on what may be the next frontier of bridging the broadband digital divide: a low-cost device that can make high-speed, reliable internet available for rural and remote areas.

More than 4 billion people, mostly in developing countries, still don’t have access to the internet. After seeing the number of people affected by the lack of broadband, Erfan Nouraee, 21, was appalled.

That prompted the Ontario teen to create a sensor-based device that uses photonics technology to enhance the quality of data transmitted through light signals, a breakthrough that could connect millions of rural residents to high-speed, reliable internet.

The gifted young scientist, who was an invited guest of the Economic Club of Canada to meet with President Obama as a young leader delegate, is now working to bring his invention to market.

Erfan Nouraee introduces an innovative sensor for light particle detection.

Last year, Erfan’s photon detector device won him a bronze medal at the IFIA’s International Invention and Innovation Competition, one of the largest innovation competitions in the world.

He is the youngest-ever recipient of the award, beating out more than 1,000 inventors from 35 countries.

Erfan’s win follows a lifelong interest in science. It’s a passion encouraged by his parents, inspired by Thomas Edison -an American inventor known for groundbreaking inventions- and nurtured at his high school in Tehran, Iran.

Erfan is 21 now and studying electrical engineering at York University, but he still takes the time to tell his story to young students in hopes they can get inspired to pursue their dreams.

Inventor Erfan Nouraee, 21, creates a breakthrough sensor capable of detecting light particles.

Erfan began working on the simple and inexpensive sensor soon after he saw the number of people affected by the lack of broadband internet access in rural and remote areas.

“I went on the internet and I found that a third of the world’s population is still without access to high-speed internet. It was then that I knew I had to do something.” Nouraee said.

He also learned that people without access to the internet face significant challenges in terms of education, economic opportunities, and social connectivity. Without the ability to connect with information, resources, and networks, they often find themselves at a disadvantage in today’s interconnected world.

His sensor has proven accurate 95 percent of the time and is  more sensitive than current sensors.

Erfan has patented his photon detector sensor, and is talking with companies about developing it into a simple, over-the-counter device, which could eventually provide high-speed internet for all areas.