It looks like the Dalai Lama and his exiled Tibetan followers may be hooked up to wireless internet earlier than most of us Britons if they have their way. Soon followed by forwarded email jokes, complaints about spam email selling v!agra and arguments over email netiquette of course. Dharamsala, a hill-station where he resides in the state of Himachal Pradesh, is hosting the AirJaldi summit in October.

The AirJaldi Summit will address some of the ways that wireless solutions can be used to provide affordable Internet access in rural communities. The conference will focus on the advantages that wireless networks can provide, by enhancing the quality of education, governance and health-care, increasing economic development, and promoting cultural exchange. Special emphasis will be placed on identifying best practices for rapidly increasing connectivity for regions most in need. [via Sharif]

And it’s not even that expensive to attend. Our US comrade Taz points to United Villages a similar initiative to wire up villages in India and Cambodia.