The Long Arm Of Broadband

Because a phone substation every 3 miles and the staff to maintain the equipment becomes cost ineffective when trying to get DSL service to remote areas, ISPs have had to think of new ways of providing service to these outlying areas that will not only be cheap but also easy to repair in case of failure. One such service is called WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). Very similar to Wi-Fi, WiMAX is a wireless high-speed Internet connection that will allow users remote access to broadband Internet. The only difference is that while Wi-Fi coverage is good within about 300 feet of a hotspot, WiMAX offers a 30-mile radius. It’s not completely ready for large-scale use, but Intel plans to have WiMAX chips in most laptops within 3 years. This increase in range will mean good coverage for many rural areas but won’t guarantee service to mountainous terrain.

Sunshine On Your Shoulders

Green WiFi is an organization whose primary focus is to provide high-speed Internet access to areas without reliable electricity. The founders noticed that, even though technology was being brought into developing countries, many of them wouldn’t be able to use them to their full potential. So, Green WiFi began developing its SoFi modules. These modules are standalone Wi-Fi nodes that will work anywhere there is sunlight available. Though its main goal is to provide Internet access to developing countries, the company also recommends their product for rural areas within the United States—as well as in the disaster preparedness arena to assist rescue and relief workers in times of need.

It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane! It’s Cellular Coverage!

Another solution that is far “outside the box” is to float the technology above our heads on blimps. Even though it sounds far-fetched, the idea is under serious consideration by a company called Sanswire Networks (www.sanswire
.com). The company is developing a fleet of balloons called Stratellites that will hover in the atmosphere at around 65,000 feet for a period of 18 months. These solar-powered, remote-controlled blimps will contain sophisticated radio and digital hardware that will be deployable almost anywhere (remote rural areas, disaster sites, or developing countries, for example). Because Stratellites carry a lower price tag than satellites and have no local footprint (unlike cell towers) these airships could someday provide the backbone for all of our communications needs.

. . . Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine

One place many of us wouldn’t think to include in a list of Internet or cellular “dead zones” is, quite literally, right under our noses . . . or at least underfoot. Tunnels, basements, and the central portions of large buildings are notorious for dropped calls and low Wi-Fi signal strength. While it is possible to cover many of these interior dead spaces with Wi-Fi or cellular signal repeaters, a simpler, more elegant solution would be simply to use a leaky coaxial cable. The term “leaky” means that there are holes cut into the outer conductive layer of traditional coaxial cable. These holes allow some of the signal to leave the cable and be used by people in proximity to the cable. These leaky cables can be set up into distributed antenna systems that offer transmission and receipt of radio signals. Additionally, leaky cables support many radio frequencies commonly used for cellular or data transmission and are adjustable to prevent interference with other radio signals in the area.

With more and more online users, the challenge now is to find a way to get a signal to them to allow everyone access to the amazing tool that is the Internet. Whether they are blimps, solar-powered service stations, or holey cables, the solutions are starting to emerge that could pave the way for a Web that is truly worldwide.

by David Miller