Provide a community Internet service, with a high performance but economical WiFi system.
There are many locations around the world that do not have access to the Internet. The majority of these locations are in rural areas; most urban areas have basic infrastructure that provides Internet access.
WiFi Internet requirements for community access
Access to the Internet for remote communities is an economic tool that can permit a community to improve its economic situation with Internet access to resources, materials, tools and markets.
There are many types of communities that will benefit from access to the Internet. Some examples are;
- Rural villages
- Schools
- Campgrounds, RV Parks
- Apartment buildings
- Etc.
The proposal of community Internet is to share one Internet connection between members of the community using a Guest Internet WIFi controllers. Sharing means setting limits for each user so that the Internet connection is not overloaded. There are many different sharing methods that include; limiting the access time of each user, charging users for access, providing different tiers of access based on Internet speed, preventing abuse of the service and ensuring that the terms and conditions of the ISP are maintained.
The first question is how to connect to the Internet?
The ideal type of connection is a fiber optic cable but this is not available for a rural community. Older types of connection such as ADSL can be used however the copper cable has a low data speed, which limits the number of users. Satellite Internet connections are available that have a data speed which is sufficient to share with a small community. The advantage of a satellite connection such as Starlink is that it can be installed anywhere. The basic Starlink data plan is not adequate for sharing with a community and so a more expensive data plan has to be selected that has a higher cost.
Sharing the cost of the community WiFi service
The cost of the equipment installation and cost of the Internet service has to be shared by the community. All community members can share the cost equally, or alternatively those people who want to use the Internet service will support the cost. The Internet service can be provided in cost tiers, so that a slow data speed has a low cost, and a high data speed has a high cost, with tiers between low and high speeds. The final decision is made by the community, or by the individuals who are building the service for the community.
WiFi network infrastructure
Once the question of how to get Internet access has been solved, the next question is what type of WiFi network infrastructure and what Guest Internet WiFI controller should be installed to provide the WiFi Internet access.
The network infrastructure has two parts;
- The WiFi Internet controller that imposes sharing rules, prevents abuse and provides accounting methods to share the cost between the Internet users, this is the Guest Internet controller.
- The WiFi wireless access points, Ethernet switches, PoE power supplies and point- to-point wireless links that provide the WiFi Internet for the user of the service.
WiFi communication distance
WiFi is a low power short-range wireless communication that can be operated without a license over shared wireless channels. The FCC sets low WiFi power limits to minimize interference between wireless products that share the same wireless channels. WiFi was designed to provide a wireless data connection inside buildings but can be used outdoors. When used outdoors, rain can interfere with the WiFi transmission, and obstacles such as trees and buildings will block the WiFi signal. The short transmission distances depend on the device that is connecting to the WiFi wireless access point. This is illustrated in the following diagram.
Three examples of WiFi infrastructure are presented in the following sections. The reader who seeks additional information can download the design books using the links at the end of this article.
A central WiFi location with Internet access for mobile devices
A village WiFi service can be installed at a central location. Community members take their mobile devices to the location to access the Internet. The next diagram illustrates a Guest Internet STAR-8 kit connected to a Starlink Internet service. The Guest Internet STAR-8 kit comprises two components, the Guest Internet GIS-R4 controller that shares the access and cost of the service. The Omni-WiFi wireless access point connects to the GIS-R4 controller. The Omni-WiFi wireless has an omni-directional antenna and operates at the maximum power and range permitted by the FCC.
A village installation for mobile devices
A village can have several areas with WiFi for access by mobile devices. Each area is connected back to a central location with a point-to-point wireless bridge link, such as the WISPzone CPE120. Each WiFi area has a Guest Internet GIS-K7 that combines the controller with a wireless access point. The configuration is shown in the next diagram.
Add homes to the village WiFi service
Connecting a home to the WiFi system requires the home to have a WiFi receiver installed on the roof of the home as the WiFi signal broadcast by the outdoor wireless access point cannot penetrate inside a home. In order to get WiFi inside the home a wireless router can be connected to the WiFi receiver. The external antenna can be the WISPzone CPE120 product.
Further reading
Three books are available for readers who wish to have access to technical information that will assist them with the development of a WiFi Internet community project.
Sell WiFi Internet
https://www.guest-internet.com/pdfs/BOOK_SELL_WIFI_INTERNET_published_by_ITA.pdf
How to sell Internet mobile broadband: (ENGLISH)
https://guest-internet.com/pdfs/How_to_sell_Internet_mobile_broadband_(ENGLISH)_J_Barker.pdf
How to start a WISP business: (ENGLISH)
https://guest-internet.com/pdfs/How_to_start_and_build_a_WISP_(ENGLISH)_J_Barker_2022.pdf
Two of these books are also available in the Spanish language, please send us an email to request them.
If you have questions about providing a WiFi service, please contact us via our email: info@wispzone.com and we will be very happy to help you.