Methods of Rural Connectivity

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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.
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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

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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

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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

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Regional BGAN Satellite modem
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Wifi WIMax
Wi-fi / Wireless-Fidelity, Otherwise known as
802.11 Wireless Network, is an open-standard,
open spectrum, open-source, open-hardware, mode
of wireless inter-connectivity for participating
devices.
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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.
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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 usersTypically 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
Radio15dBi Antenna 38dBm
Other components that need to be installed in
order to put the above systems together
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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.
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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

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GPRS / CDMACellular 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 _at_ Rs.
499/- pm)
Rural Internet Kiosk
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Regular Kiosk
BSNL landline for internet _at_ 16 Rs an hour
40 amps batteries 6- 9 numbers to give 12 hrs
of use for power failure
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Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS /
CDMACellular Phone based service
YAGI ANTENNA to increase the cell signal (in case
the cell tower is distant One can use cell phone
repeater in case the tower Is more than 20 km but
up to 50 km)
37 Watt Solar Panel
Cell tower

LED lighting inexpensive Reliable and work on
the battery
Electronic security doors And windows for
increased safety
GPRS CELL PHONE
Laptop consumes 10 to 15 watts an hour and will
last for 25 hrs with one day charge One can
employ two laptops also
EXIDE tubular battery 40 amps 500 watts storage
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Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS /
CDMACellular 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.

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Solar powered Kiosk Laptop with GPRS /
CDMACellular 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

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GPRS / CDMA(benefits)
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Services Comparison Chart
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Thank You
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Hyderabad Sagar Wifi Corridor
Extending wifi to the community

• 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.

Hyderabad
Ibrahimpatnam
Yacharam
Mall
Chintapalli
Mallepalli
Devarkonda
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Nagarjuna Sagar
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Map of the 120 Km long, 20 Km wide Wifi Corridor
Tower
School or College
Gram Panchayat office
Other Subscribers
No.
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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.
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