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 IncomePopulationSubscribersPer 100 Low2,4135, Lower middle 2,39369, Upper middle 33112, High961216, World6,097303,

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) ProjectCost Morse telegraph.03 ARPANet25 CSNet5 NSFNet backbone57.9 NSF higher ed connections30 NSF international connections6

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 telecommunication Open, competitive telecommunication market Open, competitive business practices and laws High level of poverty High level of literacy Dense population High-speed international fiber links Strong university programs in EE, CS, and GIS Varied 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 expertise Geographic Information Systems Local Geography Terrestrial wireless design and practice Fiber optic design and installation Network operation center design Network modeling and optimization Satellite research and practice High altitude platform research and practice Village POP configuration design Training for POP operation Design of solar and other power systems Spectrum politics and policy Mechanical design for radio towers Village telecommunication centers and applications

High-Altitude Platform

LEO constellation

Let us continue the conversation

Larry Press Professor, IS California State University, Dominguez Hills

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 “Competition” from 3 rd 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 nations246.4 Lower middle income24.9 Upper middle income8.6 High income1.6