13-02-2013, 12:02 PM
REPORT ON DAKNET
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ABSTRACT
This paper outlines a migration path towards universal broadband connectivity, motivated by the design of a wireless store-and-forward communications network.
We argue that the cost of real-time, circuit-switched communications is sufficiently high
that it may not be the appropriate starting point for rural connectivity. Based on market
data for information and communication technology (ICT) services in rural India, we
propose a combination of wireless technology with an asynchronous mode ofcommunications to offer a means of introducing ICTs with:
• affordability and practicality for end users;
• a sustainable cost structure for operators and investors;
• a smooth migration path to universal broadband connectivity.
A summary of results and data are given for an operational pilot test of this wirelessnetwork in Karnataka, India, beginning in March 2003.We also briefly discuss the economics and policy considerations for deploying this type of
network in the context of rural connectivity.
INTRODUCTION
As a government representative enthusiastically talks about the new telephone
for a village in remote rural India, a villager asks, “Who am I going to call? I don’t know
anybody who owns a telephone.” Yet, despite this sensible observation, a phone is
dutifully installed as part of the current government mandate to connect villages to
neighbouring towns. Although some villagers do use the phone occasionally, most still
travel sometimes days to talk to family or to obtain the forms and other data that citizens
in developed nations can call up on a computer in a matter of seconds.
In short, the goal of “broadband connectivity for everyone” has been shelved in
favor of cutting back to the minimum possible standard telephone service in the mistaken
belief that this is the cheapest way to provide connectivity. This compromise is
particularly tragic given recent advances in wireless technology, which make running a
copper line to an analog telephone far more expensive than broadband wireless Internet
connectivity. Rather than backpedal on the goal of connecting everyone, society should be thinking, How can we establish the kernel of a user network that will grow seamlessly as the village’s economics develop? In other words,what is the basis for a progressive,
market-driven migration from government seed services- e-governance -to universal
broadband connectivity that local users will pay for?
THE WIRELESS CATALYST
Recent advances in wireless computer networking-particularly the IEEE 802
standards—have led to huge commercial success and low pricing for broadband networks. While these networks are viewed as mainly for offices or for hotspots in urban areas, they can provide broadband access to even the most remote areas at a low price. Today, wireless cell phone and wireless local loop (WLL) service costs roughly a third of copper or fiber landline service, while packet-based broadband computer networks cost roughly a ninth of the landline service—and they are far friendlier to data services and to lowergrade voice service such as voice messaging. These new technologies thus offer
developing countries an opportunity to leapfrog over wireline and WLL telephony
infrastructure to the forefront of broadband communications technology.
Wireless data networks based on the IEEE 802.11, or WiFi, standard are perhaps
the most promising of the wireless technologies. The forces driving the standardization
and proliferation of WiFi in the developed world have resulted in features that can
stimulate the communications market in the developing world. These features include ease of setup, use, and maintenance; relatively high bandwidth; and, most important, relatively low cost for both users and providers.
MOBILE AD HOC CONNECTIVITY
The DakNet wireless network takes advantage of the existing communications
and transportation infrastructure to distribute digital connectivity to outlying villages
lacking a digital communications infrastructure. DakNet, whose name derives from the
Hindi word for “post” or “postal,” combines a physical means of transportation with
Wireless data transfer to extend the Internet connectivity that a central uplink or hub, such as a cybercafé , VSAT system, or post office provides. As Figure 2 shows, instead of trying to relay data over a long distance, which can be expensive and power-hungry, DakNet transmits data over short point-to-point links between kiosks and portable storage devices, called mobile access points (MAPs). Mounted on and powered by a bus, a motorcycle, or even a bicycle with a small generator, a MAP physically transports data among public kiosks and private communications devices (as an intranet) and between kiosks and a hub (for nonreal-time Internet access). Low-cost WiFi radio transceivers automatically transfer the data stored in the MAP at high bandwidth for each point-to-point connection.
Seamless scalability
In addition to its tremendous cost reduction, a critical feature of DakNet is its ability to provide a seamless method of upgrading to always-on broadband connectivity. As a village increases its economic means, its inhabitants can use the same hardware, software , and user interface to enjoy realtime information access. The only change is the addition of fixed-location wireless antennas and towers—a change that is entirely transparent to end users because they need not learn any new skills or buy any new hardware or software. The addition of fixed transceivers would provide real-time connectivity, thus enabling new, more sophisticated services, such as voice over IP, which allows “normal” real-time telephony. Thus, as the “Some Common Myths about Rural Information and Communication Technology” sidebar describes, asynchronous broadband wireless connectivity offers a practical stepping-stone and migration path to always-on, broadband infrastructure and end-user applications. Together with the development of two other key rural communication components—robust, low-cost terminals and local user-interface design and applications - DakNet makes it practical for
individual households and private users to get connected.
Economics
A back-of-the-envelope calculation for DakNet suggests that a capital investment of $15 million could equip each of India’s 50,000 rural buses with a $300 MAP and thereby provide mobile ad hoc connectivity to most of the 750 million people in rural India. This figure represents a cost that is orders of magnitude lower than other rural communication alternatives. Costs for the interactive user devices that DakNet supports—including thin-client terminals, PDAs, and VoIP telephones—may also soon become far more affordable than traditional PCs or WLL equipment.PDA-like devices using an IEEE 802-like wireless protocol retail for $100, with a manufacturing cost of approximately $50.System-on-a-chip technology is lowering these costs even more, potentially enabling wireless PDAs at prices as low as $25 .
CONCLUSION
DakNet will enlighten rural India to the Internet.
The government has proposed to roll out the DakNet Wi-Fi project - involving the linking up of computers to networks without using wires - as a connectivity medium aimed at the rural masses.
According to First Mile Solutions founder Amir Alexander Hasson, who helped
initiate the two DakNet Wi-Fi pilot projects in Tikawali, a village near Faridabad, Haryana, and Dodabalapur district in Karnataka, "We are using IEEE 802.11b equipment
at 2.4 GHz. We don't use base stations, but rather our custom DakNet Mobile Access Point (MAP) that is mounted on and powered by a vehicle."
Giving the project details, Mr Hasson said, "Essentially, a van roam roams around the Dodabalapur district in Karnataka, stopping at different villages long enough for the local computer to connect to it wirelessly and transfer the data stored in it. From the van to the central database is also a Wi-Fi hop, thus resulting in a wireless end-to-end transfer of information - which is what Wi-Fi is all about. The project involves creating an online database of land records."