Developing and Deploying Multi-hop Wireless Networks for a Low-Income Communities Authors: Joseph Camp (Rice U.) Edward Knightly (Rice U.) Will Reed (Technology For All) Authors: Joseph Camp (Rice U.) Edward Knightly (Rice U.) Will Reed (Technology For All)

Outline Background – Technology For All (TFA) – Rice Transit Access Points (TAPs) Project – Neighborhood Demographics – Map: Pecan Park Societal Objectives Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work Background – Technology For All (TFA) – Rice Transit Access Points (TAPs) Project – Neighborhood Demographics – Map: Pecan Park Societal Objectives Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work

Technology For All (TFA) MISSION: To empower low-income and under-resourced communities through the tools of technology TFA-Wireless created to deploy a wireless cloud around neighborhood TFA-Wireless using sustainable business model to provide broadband Internet access to local residents and businesses TFA-Wireless – one example of TFA’s social enterprise strategy to achieve its mission MISSION: To empower low-income and under-resourced communities through the tools of technology TFA-Wireless created to deploy a wireless cloud around neighborhood TFA-Wireless using sustainable business model to provide broadband Internet access to local residents and businesses TFA-Wireless – one example of TFA’s social enterprise strategy to achieve its mission

Rice TAPs Project NSF Funded Project (5 years, $7.5M) In Connection with 100x100 Project Real-world motivation NSF Funded Project (5 years, $7.5M) In Connection with 100x100 Project Real-world motivation

Pecan Park Demographics Per-capita Income one-third of national average 36.7 percent of children (under 18) live below poverty line 71 percent of families with children under 5 live below poverty line 64.2 percent of adults (over 25) are without high school diploma or GED 4.2 square kilometers in area Per-capita Income one-third of national average 36.7 percent of children (under 18) live below poverty line 71 percent of families with children under 5 live below poverty line 64.2 percent of adults (over 25) are without high school diploma or GED 4.2 square kilometers in area

Map: Pecan Park TFA Melcher Library Business District

Outline Background Societal Objectives – Community Benefits – TFA-Wireless Business Model – Lessons Learned: Community Outreach Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work Background Societal Objectives – Community Benefits – TFA-Wireless Business Model – Lessons Learned: Community Outreach Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work

Societal Objectives Affordable Internet access Online education opportunities Work-at-home opportunities Health education and information Economic Development Sustainable Business Model Affordable Internet access Online education opportunities Work-at-home opportunities Health education and information Economic Development Sustainable Business Model

TFA-Wireless Business Model

Lessons Learned: Community Outreach Early adopters at all socio-economic levels Higher community interest when members of the community involved Low-income community wants a high quality affordable product More community broadband in neighborhood than expected Early adopters at all socio-economic levels Higher community interest when members of the community involved Low-income community wants a high quality affordable product More community broadband in neighborhood than expected

Outline Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work

Economics: Case for Mesh Fiber as high as $200,000 per linear mile DSL and CATV infeasible $1K/month for 1.5 Mbps $5K to $30K/month for 45 Mbps Economies of scale: Affordable IEEE Hardware Aggregate all traffic to a single wire Fiber as high as $200,000 per linear mile DSL and CATV infeasible $1K/month for 1.5 Mbps $5K to $30K/month for 45 Mbps Economies of scale: Affordable IEEE Hardware Aggregate all traffic to a single wire

Outline Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture – Hardware Platform – Performance Targets – Network Topology Future Work Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture – Hardware Platform – Performance Targets – Network Topology Future Work

Hardware: VIA mini-ITX VIA C3 1Ghz SMC 200 mW b 5 GB Hard Drives 32 MB Flash to run Linux OS LocustWorld Mesh SW 15 dBi Omni- directional Antenna (8 deg. Beam) VIA C3 1Ghz SMC 200 mW b 5 GB Hard Drives 32 MB Flash to run Linux OS LocustWorld Mesh SW 15 dBi Omni- directional Antenna (8 deg. Beam)

Performance Targets Four Hop Limitation –Inefficiency in forwarding single active flows over multiple hops –Unfairness of when multiple flows active from multiple hops 1 Mbps Commercial Connection –3 Mbps backbone Four Hop Limitation –Inefficiency in forwarding single active flows over multiple hops –Unfairness of when multiple flows active from multiple hops 1 Mbps Commercial Connection –3 Mbps backbone

Network Topology Hexagonal Packing 250 meter range Need for Directional Antennae Hexagonal Packing 250 meter range Need for Directional Antennae

Outline Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work – Extensibility – Research Challenges – Measurement Study Background Technical and Economic Objectives Network Architecture Future Work – Extensibility – Research Challenges – Measurement Study

Future: Extensibility g Cards Other CTCs and Neighborhoods Increasing Customer Base Maintain Sense of Community Involvement g Cards Other CTCs and Neighborhoods Increasing Customer Base Maintain Sense of Community Involvement

Future:Research Challenges Off-the-Shelf means fixed Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) Layers Rate Limiting on Nodes TCP over wireless Synergizes well with TAPs Project –400 Mbps Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) Physical Layer –Custom Hardware using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) –Fairness in Multi-hop Wireless Off-the-Shelf means fixed Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) Layers Rate Limiting on Nodes TCP over wireless Synergizes well with TAPs Project –400 Mbps Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) Physical Layer –Custom Hardware using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) –Fairness in Multi-hop Wireless

Future: Measurement Study SNMP and tcpdump for network monitoring Network Planning –Link Level Measurements Mesh node to client Mesh node to mesh node –Multi-hop Measurements –Placement Schemes SNMP and tcpdump for network monitoring Network Planning –Link Level Measurements Mesh node to client Mesh node to mesh node –Multi-hop Measurements –Placement Schemes

Questions?