connecting villages: a grand challenge. grand challenges i believe that this nation should commit...
Post on 22-Dec-2015
214 views
TRANSCRIPT
Connecting Villages: A Grand Challenge
Grand Challenges
• I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.
John F. Kennedy, 1961 • That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for
mankind. Neil Armstrong, 1969
A Grand Challenge
Provide a high-speed Internet link and a point of presence in every village in every low and lower-middle income nation.
3 billion people
3 million villages
1990s Hypothesis
• Computer networks could improve life in developing nations at a relatively low cost
• Marginal impact could be relatively great due to a lack of alternative ICT
• Raising the quality of rural life will reduce migration pressure
Internet Diffusion, February 1991
We have done
• Training
• Pilot studies
• ICT readiness assessments
• Conferences and workshops
Many successful pilots
The “digital divide” persists
IP Connectivity, 2003
Income Population Subscribers Per 100
Low 2,413 5,424 .22
Lower middle
2,393 69,762 2.92
Upper middle
331 12,150 3.68
High 961 216,069 22.48
World 6,097 303,405 4.98
Where are we?
• Many applications have been demonstrated.
• The Internet is on the “radar screen”
• But the digital divide persists
• Capital is not available
The NSFNet Approach
• Developing nations challenge: Provide a high-speed Internet link and a point of presence in every village in every low and lower-middle income nation.
• NSFNet challenge: Provide a high-speed Internet link and a point of presence in every university in the United States.
NSFNet
• Build backbone
• Fund connectivity and POP (router and a link)
• Connect– US higher education networks– International research and education networks
NSFNet T1 Backbone, 1991
NSFNet with regional links
The NSFNet Strategy
• Highly leveraged -- $125 million• Users in control• Expert designers on temporary assignment
Highly leveraged:Government funding ($million)
Project Cost
Morse telegraph .03
ARPANet 25
CSNet 5
NSFNet backbone 57.9
NSF higher ed connections 30
NSF international connections 6
User control
• Universities designed their LANs
• Universities funded their LANs
• Universities trained their users
• Users invented applications
• A “dumb,” end-to-end network with innovation at the edges
Expert designers on temporary assignment
• UCLA• MIT• SRI• BBN• NSF• Michigan• Etc.
Fiber Backbone, Mesh, POPs
Steps
• Begin with a pilot nation
• Design and implement the network using a team of experts
• Apply lessons learned to other nations
Which pilot nation?
Strong government support of telecommunicationOpen, competitive telecommunication marketOpen, competitive business practices and lawsHigh level of povertyHigh level of literacyDense populationHigh-speed international fiber linksStrong university programs in EE, CS, and GISVaried climate and topography
Bangladesh?
+ Densely populated – reach with fiber+ Very poor+ Undersea cable coming+ Extreme climate+ Positive experience with micro-credit- Government will not clear- Low literacy rate- Weak universities
Areas of expertiseGeographic Information Systems Local GeographyTerrestrial wireless design and practiceFiber optic design and installationNetwork operation center designNetwork modeling and optimizationSatellite research and practiceHigh altitude platform research and practiceVillage POP configuration designTraining for POP operationDesign of solar and other power systemsSpectrum politics and policyMechanical design for radio towersVillage telecommunication centers and applications
High-Altitude Platform
LEO constellation
On the “radar screen”
• Every government is aware of the strategic importance of the Internet
• (risks too)
Possible ICT Grand Challenges
• Provide high-speed IP connectivity to all villages
• Provide access to all engineering and scientific literature and data sets at all universities
WiMAX issues
• License free market innovation
• Mass production (carrier and user)
• Global regulatory conformity
• “Competition” from 802.11
• “Competition” from 3rd generation cellular
• “Competition” from new license-free bands
Internet Diffusion, June 1997
Why Bangladesh?
• Need is great
• Some positive points
Great need
• Pent up demand: cable landing, poor telephone infrastructure (300k users)
• Poor people – great marginal impact
Connecting Villages
A Grand Challenge
Successful Applications
• Education
• Health care
• E-commerce
• Democracy and human rights
• E-government
• News and entertainment
Cannot attract sufficient capital
• Cost of 20 hours access as percent of average monthly GNI per capita
Low income nations 246.4
Lower middle income 24.9
Upper middle income 8.6
High income 1.6