Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Wycliffe Associates has long led the way in translating the Bible into every language. Now, it is using advanced technology to further its mission by using Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to help national Bible translators in remote regions gain access to the internet. This partnership builds on Wycliffe’s history of technological innovation in Bible translation.
Starlink gives users in isolated areas internet speeds comparable to in-ground services. This benefits national Bible translation teams, whose members typically live and work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places. In addition to having no internet access, they often are without electricity and must rely on solar energy to power their equipment. Because of advances in technology in recent years, Wycliffe Associates has gained more economical access to satellite internet systems.
“We have thoroughly tested the technology over the past year, and we recently launched Starlink with a few Bible translation teams in very remote areas in Southeast Asia,” said Mark Stedman, vice president of technology. “We hope to expand to many different countries around the world in the near future.”
READ: Wycliffe Associates develops new language for deaf in Africa
The connections also will make video calls possible, which haven’t been available to national Bible translators in the past. This advancement comes as Wycliffe continues to break new ground in making Scripture accessible to all people groups.
“This is going to make a tremendous impact in terms of encouraging the translators, helping them with theological questions and having that consistent connection where you can actually speak on the telephone as opposed to having to rely on a text message or an email,” a staff member said. “Starlink is going to improve our ability to stand alongside our translators.”
And in places where persecution of Christians is intense, a secure and fast internet connection ensures that national Bible translators can securely upload their work to protect it from being lost or destroyed. Internet connections in remote areas are part of Wycliffe Associates’ strategy of equipping and empowering local believers and churches around the world to translate the scriptures for themselves. This approach has already shown success in various regions, as demonstrated by their work with indigenous translators in challenging environments. Included in the technology that Wycliffe Associates provides are laptops loaded with custom Bible translation software and access to a library of translation resources.
–Alan Goforth | metro voice
