Nairobi, Kenya
It truly is a small world, thanks to people like alumnus Ankit Rohatgi, who brings communication to isolated corners of the globe. The 36-year-old native of India uses two UT Arlington master鈥檚 degrees鈥� 鈥�01 and 鈥�05鈥攁s a senior solutions architect for Ericsson, the Dallas-based telecommunications equipment giant. He creates cellphone satellite connections in remote areas such as small villages or large ships. 鈥淚 have training in Jakarta, a trade show in Singapore, sales in Mongolia, sales support in Gabon鈥攁 lot of different things.鈥�
Among the 37 countries Rohatgi has visited is Kenya, where he fed giraffes at a sanctuary near Nairobi. In April he installed a satellite connection on one of the largest freighters in the world. Now the sailors can talk to their families while at sea instead of waiting for a quick call from a port. A satellite cell tower on a Ugandan hilltop brings coverage to many poor villages. 鈥淭he cellphone will be the only electronic appliance in the home. One person takes the phones to the nearest town where a man charges them,鈥� Rohatgi says. 鈥淚t is amazing how this is changing the聽world.鈥�