Methods of Rural Connectivity

Emerging Technologies and Preference for solar powered laptop

Dr. Ranganayakulu Bodavala / Sreekamal Bandopadhyaya / THRIVE, Volunteers for Rural Health, Education and Information Technology, Chintapalli, Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh.

VSAT
Very small aperture transmission Requires Small 1 2 Meter Dish Antenna Uses DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access ) System for Full mesh point to point or point to multipoint connectivity Can be set up anywhere, widely used by ATMs, ITC and others in India

Long Range Cordless Data Capable Phones

Data transmission up to 56K (PSTN) 4 lines expandable to 16 lines with up to 64 users Communication range up to 100 Km in open space link with Notebook, PDA, FAX machine and desktop, automatically for wireless data transmission .

RBGAN Immersat Satellite Phone & Modem

A portable satellite IP modem High-speed data communications via satellite up to 144 kbps Lightweight and easy to operate and can be setup in minutes Operational anywhere in the world where IMMERSAT footprint is available An always on system. You pay only for data sent and received. Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Bluetooth interfaces

.
Regional BGAN Satellite modem

Wifi WIMax
Wi-fi / Wireless-Fidelity, Otherwise known as 802.11 Wireless Network, is an open-standard, open spectrum, open-source, openhardware, mode of wireless inter-connectivity for participating devices.

What a wireless network is made up of:Wireless Network cards

-Radios which send and receive signals from other radios or access points, usually PCMCIA* cards which fit into Laptop expansion slots, or PCI Bus in case of Desktop computers. (There are other, simpler options using USB). PDAs like PALM, and Pocket PC having a compact flash slot can also connect.

Base stations, Access points, or Gateways

-The base station sends and receives radio signals to and from the Wi-Fi radio in your laptop or PC, enabling you to share your Internet connection with other users on the network. Access points and gateways have a wide range of features and performance capabilities, but they all provide this basic network connection service.

* PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.

Typical Community Wifi Constituents

High gain Parabolic grid antennas to beam the signal to over 30km from tower to tower.. Typically 5.7-5.8 GHz, 2' Diameter Parabolic Grid Antenna, 26 dBi gain, 6 degree beam width, N-Female connector Sector antennas to beam the signal from the towers to the community users Typically 2.4-2.5 GHz, 90 degree sector antenna, 17
dBi gain

Customer Premises equipment (CPE) to access the signal from the towers..
Typically 23dBm Radio+15dBi Antenna = 38dBm

Other components that need to be installed in order to put the above systems together

THRIVE, Now a Wifi Campus

THRIVE has put Wifi to use within the campus using 802.11b wireless technology. The System consists of a NetGear Wireless Router mounted atop the communication tower which beams a wifi signal accessible to anyone using a wifi-enabled computer within the boundaries of the campus without using any other amplifying antennae at about 300mts radius of the tower. THRIVE is in the process of setting up a campus monitoring and surveillance system using wifi.

A visitor testing the wifi signal around the THRIVE campus.

Capabilities and Uses

High data transmission rate and high reliability in all weather conditions, and an always available (95% Uptime) network makes wifi a robust solution suitable for high bandwidth applications. - Online video-conferencing with greater clarity - Telephony, using VoIP - Revenue-model for budding start-up ISPs - Broadband in the true sense - Easier reach into far-flung rural areas - Ability to add more nodes as and when required - Less maintenance overheads, especially in Rural areas where technical manpower is scarce

GPRS / CDMA
Cellular Phone based service

Covers 30% of Indias LandMass Using GSM/CDMA cellular providers Reliable, Always-On Internet Connection for a fixed package
Cell tower

GPRS Enabled Cell Phone (HUTCH or Airtel @ Rs. 499/- pm)

Rural Internet Kiosk

Regular Kiosk

BSNL landline for internet @ 16 Rs an hour

40 amps batteries 6- 9 numbers to gi 12 hrs of use for power failure

Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS / CDMA

Cellular Phone based service
Cell tower

YAGI ANTENNA to increase the cell signa (in case the cell tower is distant One can use cell phone repeater in case Is more than 20 km but up to 50 km)

37 Watt Solar Panel

LED lighting inexpensive Reliable and work on the battery

GPRS CELL PHONE

Electronic security door And windows for increas safety

EXIDE tubular battery 40 amps 500 watts storage

Laptop consumes 10 to 15 watts an hour and will last for 25 hrs with one day charge One can employ two laptops also

Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS / CDMA

Cellular Phone based service

Lap tops are available from 35,000 Rs onwards Maintenance is easy as one can carry the laptop to the city Solar panel and battery cost less than 8,000 and can recover their cost in one full year (300 watts desktop costs around 9000 Rs a year for electricity for 12 hrs of use a day) Reliable, Always-On Internet Connection(usually the BSNL rural exanges are not very reliable) for a fixed package around Rs 1 per an hour in comparison to Rs 16 for land line GPRS mobile costs from Rs. 3,000. Since it is a mobile phone voice communication is also available and rarely cellular service fails.

Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS / CDMA

Cellular Phone based service

Remedy for power failure and non availability Remedy for unreliable BSNL land line Remedy high cost of operational expenditure for electricity and data connection fee Overall an independent for lighting, communication and data needs in villages

GPRS / CDMA (benefits)

Desktop model with Solar powered laptop regular power and with GPRS data BSNL dial up internet connection Set up cost Computer Others Operational cost Electricity (year)

35,000 12,000 (ups etc) 9000 (heavy for

battery charging and use)

30,000 6,000 1000 450 X 12

Internet (year)

4800 X 12

Services Comparison Chart

Service Type VSAT Setup Complex Maintenance Complex Setup Cost High (Approx 2 Laks) Operational Cost Min Rs. 10,000 PM Data Speeds 64 Mbps to 2Mbps Availability Anywhere

Long Range Cordless and Data Capable Phones (Baotang)

Relatively Easier

Easy

Rs. 20,000

Rs. 1000 PM approx.

53 Kbps

Anywhere, Preferably nearer to cities.

Regional BGAN

Easy

Easy

Rs. 50,000

@ Rs. 50/- approx, per MB of Data

Up to 144 Kbps Shared Channel

Where Immersat footprint is available

WiFi

Easer

Easy

Rs. 100,000 Per Base station

Rs. 1200 to Rs. 4000 PM

Up to 11 Mbps Shared.

Anywhere, depending on Line of Sight

GPRS / CDMA

Easiest

Nil

Rs. 5000 min for GPRS Phone

@Rs. 499 pm or Rs 10 / min

40 Kbps

Where cellular coverage is available.. With rapidly increasing coverage.

Thank You

Hyderabad Sagar Wifi Corridor

Extending wifi to the community
Hyderabad

The 120 Km state highway between Hyderabad and Nagarjuna Sagar is an Ideal corridor for wifi implementaon Potentially there are 200 Schools, 10 Engineering Colleges, several MBA and Degree Colleges, Gram Panchayats, Government offices, NGOs and other Institutions active in this region, who are looking for a reliable internet connectivity.. This provides for a sustainable revenue model for Implementation of the wifi corridor.
Chintapalli Mallepalli

Ibrahimpatnam

Yacharam

Mall

Devarkonda

Nagarjuna Sagar

Map of the 120 Km long, 20 Km wide Wifi Corridor

Tower School or College Gram Panchayat office Other Subscribers

No.

Successful Implementations of Wifi in India & Abroad

Digital Gangetic Plain Infothela
The researchers of Media Labs Asia based at IIT Kanpur have taken a technology designed for indoor use as a replacement for wired local area networks and have stretched it to 75km and beyond between Kanpur and Lucknow. They have made available a mobile koisk called infothela whichis wifi-enabled and will provide a range of Govt. services from health to education.

Bhutan - Internet Telephony using VoIP

A pilot project to use wireless and VoIP technologies to deliver communication services to rural areas in Bhutan, a small Himalayan Kingdom, was completed with encouraging results.

Torornto Montreal Wifi Link along Rail Line

TORONTO Canada's national passenger train service is offering wireless Internet access to riders with their own Wi-Fi devices travelling between Toronto and Montreal

The Highest Wireless Network (WiFi - 802.11b) in the Northeast US

In the winter of 2003, a solar-powered Web camera was deployed in northern New Hampshire, and in the process, the highest wireless network (WiFi - 802.11b) in the northeast United States came into operation across 5 miles of backcountry.