Transcript No Slide Title

Eric M.K Osiakwan
Internet Research
An innovative Internet access solution
for schools and corporations in underserved communities
Internet access for any school anywhere is the goal!
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
Presentation Objective
Proposal for sending Internet to any school
anywhere in poor infrastructure Africa
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
The Challenge
• Access to the ‘net is a must-have
• Lack of telecom infrastructure and “last-mile” solutions
are tough challenges for African schools and corporates
• Lack of funds (or lack of business case for funds)
• Building infrastructure is time-consuming
• Geographical barriers abound in providing nation-wide
access
• Human capital is almost zero
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
MAP OF THE VOL TA RI VER A UTHORI TY
OPGW LAYOUT IN GHANA
TO OUAGADOUGOU
(BURKINA FASO)
BAWKU SUBSTATION
TUMU
NAVRONGO
U P PE R E A ST
R E G ION
HAN
UPPER WEST
REGION
BOLGATANGA
SUBSTATION
DAPAONG (TOGO)
SUBSTATION
WA
NORTHERN REGION
SAWLA
YENDI
TAMALE
SUBSTATION
BOLE
BUI
• More than 20 WAN companies
• Backbone – Voltacom, GT
• Wireless access methods mostly
2.4G centered in Accra, Kumasi
• Lastmile monthly cost for
dedicated access range from $300 $1,800
• Narrowband over Cu is very poor
KINTAMPO
BRONG-AHAFO
REGION
WENCHI
TECHIMAN
SUBSTATION
BEREKUM
SUNYANI SUBSTATION
DORMAA
MIM
ASHANTI REGION
KUMASI
SUBSTATION
KPANDU
NKAWKAW SUBSTATION
KONONGO
SUBSTATION
OBUASI
SUBSTATION
NEW OBUASI
SUBSTATION
KPEVE
EASTERN REGION
TAFO
SUBSTATION
KOFORIDUA
W E ST E RN R E G ION
Credit - VRA
VOLTA
SUBSTATION
ACHIMOTA
SUBSTATION
PRESTEA 161KV
SUBSTATION
TARKWA
SUBSTATION
LEGEND
AKOSOMBO GS
KPONG GS
NEW TEMA SUBSTATION
CE N T R A L R E G ION
ABOBO
SUBSTATION
(COTE D’IVOIRE)
LOME (TOGO)
SUBSTATION
SMELTER SUBSTATION
DUNKWA
SUBSTATION
BOGOSO
SUBSTATION
PRESTEA 225KV
SUBSTATION
HO (69KV)
ASIEKPE SUBSTATION
GREATER ACCRA
REGION
WINNEBA
SUBSTATION
TRANSMISSION
LINES FITTED
WITH OPGW
TRANSMISSION
LINES -PLANNED
FOR FUTURE OPGW
TRANSMISSION LINES
BEING CONSIDERED
FOR FUTURE OPGW
CAPE COAST
SUBSTATION
ABOADZE G.S
TAKORADI
SUBSTATION
Tuesday, October 30,
2001
AITEC
2002.
VOLTA TELECOMMUNICATION
COMPANYZone
LTD (VOLTACOM)
Innovative
Presentation.
21
17.05.02
“The Quandary”
Lack of funds.
Poor or nonexistent telecom
infrastructure.
Businesses growth hampered,
economies cannot create
adequate wealth.
Inability to create centralised/distributed/remote
access computing for: point-of-sale systems,
information bureau and clearing systems,
credit/debit systems, on-line banking, Internet
access.
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
… the Challenge
• Provide Internet access solution to schools and
corporations that adequately address all the following
issues:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Deployed very rapidly
Must have no geographical barriers
Must be very reliable
Must be available always
Must provide a reasonably good access speed
Inexpensive
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
Arrow’s Javelin
• Use Racom’s Morse wireless technology to provide links
– MR25 for remote schools – all locations reachable, but slow
– MR900 and other broadband solutions for inner-city
• Email:
– Web based mail interface using local server
– Fetch hotmail and yahoo! into local student accounts
• Web:
–
–
–
–
–
Mirror as many sites as possible on the local server
Automate mirroring requests from the schools
Enable caching for sites not mirrored
Use www4mail@ictp in Italy for web searches
Create [email protected] in future
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
How Does It Work?
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
How Does It Work?
• Access to the ‘net is mediated by the local server via
mirroring and caching
• Local server updates web pages at nite
• Mirroring process runs forever digging deep into sites to
mirror sub-links. Sites are available during the process.
• Direct access is automatically invoked if both mirror and
cache fail. Missing internal mirror link generates error.
• Mails are posted and received through a local mail box
using a web interface
• Hotmail, yahoo! etc fetched into local mail box
• Web sites could be 24 hours late, mails are fairly recent
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
A brief on the telecom
technology
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
…the technology
• Racom for 12 years used it for transaction processing in
Czech Republic, Austria, Slovak, China, Russia, Norway
• We have used it to create the biggest WAN in Ghana for
transaction processing
• The radio uses licensed UHF frequencies, minimal line
of sight, long range: 110km achieved so far
• Meshed topology greatly enhances reliability
• Comes standard with both serial and Ethernet IP ports
• Radio, modem, router, protocol converter in tight knit
• Non-line of sight 9.6 – 128kbps data rate
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
• Down side:
Down/Up sides of Javelin!
– Web pages likely to be late
– Limited direct access to the ‘net
– Annoyingly slow if you have to use MR25 directly
• Up side
– What is the alternative of zero access?
– Limited direct ‘net access may enhance control of students
– Schools may not require up-to-date sites for education. Local
server can be ‘recharged’ at a nearby school
– Inexpensive access
– Speed of deployment to any school anywhere in the country
– Solution is scalable to higher transmission speeds
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
www.racom.cz
www.arrownetworks.net
Questions?
contact:
[email protected]
fax: +233-21-238038
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02
How much does it cost?
• Hardware required:
– Radio transceiver
– Modem
– Router
– Antenna and cabling
– Note the above are integrated, hence the low cost
– Local mirror and cache server
• We’re presently able to put the hardware together for $3k
• Expect price to be lower for multiple sites
• Running cost components
– Link maintenance
– Server, system administration and system development
– We hope to charge $50 a month anywhere in the country (compare with
existing $300-$1,800 a month)
AITEC 2002. Innovative Zone Presentation. 17.05.02