VillageNet: A low-cost, IEEE 802.11-based mesh network for connecting rural areas
Partha Sharathi Dutta, Sharad Jaiswal, Rajeev R. Rastogi · Bell Labs Technical Journal · 2007
VillageNet is a new wireless mesh networking technology that provides low-cost broadband Internet access for wide regions. It targets the rural market around the world, where large populations live but paying capacities are low. VillageNet offers a low-cost, high performance alternative to traditional wireline/cellular technologies that have prohibitively expensive deployment costs. VillageNet connects villages in a mesh using long-distance wireless links. The cost of building the network is kept low by using off-the-shelf Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 equipment and optimizing the network topology to minimize cost. In this paper, we describe the overall operation and architecture of the VillageNet network. We also describe the various technical challenges surrounding channel allocation, link scheduling, and topology construction for these networks and present some initial results for these problems. Finally, we outline several interesting open issues for building rural wireless mesh networks. © 2007 Alcatel-Lucent.