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Emerging Technologies

Pilot Project Demonstrates Transportable Satellite Internet System in Ohio Communities

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The Internet is coming to Ohio's rural and underserved communities, according to researchers at The Ohio State University. To make this happen, Ohio State University's Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), OARnet, and ITEC-Ohio (Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center) are key partners with the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) in implementing a $4.5 million research and development grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The purpose of the project is to conduct scientific and educational experiments to learn how to improve Internet access for underserved populations, particularly in rural and remote areas. ADEC, whose membership comprise 63 state universities and land grant colleges throughout the United States, is partnering with its member institutions in experimenting with satellite-based Internet engineering solutions appropriate and affordable for education, government, and nonprofit sectors.

As part of the project, the Ohio team has developed and is currently testing a trailer-mounted, transportable Internet satellite system. These researchers say the deployment of this new system, referred to as Transportable Satellite Internet System (TSIS), has the potential to provide substantially enhanced telecommunications opportunities for education, research, human services, medicine, and government in areas of the State where standard Internet connectivity is currently limited or nonexistent.

The TSIS is funded by a grant from the NSF to ADEC for the Advanced Internet Satellite Extension Project (AISEP). According to Janet Poley, president of ADEC and AISEP project leader, the NSF grant will help develop and deploy advanced Internet services and technologies over satellite infrastructure for purposes of enhancing research, instruction, and learning in a diverse set of institutions. Poley said, "We are excited about the prospect of advancing the use of Internet technology in education and narrowing the gap between the education 'have and have-nots'."

ADEC selected the OSU Office of the CIO, OARnet, and ITEC-Ohio to develop this system because of their combined expertise in wireless and satellite technology, radio frequency, and Internet and telecommunications research.

The development of the initial TSIS was a "proof of concept" project to develop and test an inexpensive, easy-to-use, mobile, Internet satellite dish. The system is designed so that it can be replicated, using easily obtainable parts at an affordable price. Robert Dixon, chief research engineer for the Office of the CIO and for OARnet, said "The original prototype serves as a laboratory for studying alternative designs, components, operational characteristics and operator requirements, and will use a wide variety of applications that can contribute to further refinement of the design." Dixon is optimistic that this pilot project will generate sufficient interest among authorities in local, underserved communities that they will consider implementing a transportable or stationary satellite Internet system of their own.

On a cost-recovery basis, the researchers will make the TSIS available to state agencies, community-based organizations, alliances, school districts, and higher education institutions to create value-added research, convey specialized knowledge, and provide technology services.

The TSIS made its public debut in Ohio to an enthusiastic audience at the OSU Farm Science Review Sept. 17 – 19, near London, Ohio. The first national showcase of TSIS was at the Distance Learning and Teaching Conference in Madison, Wis., Aug. 12-16. Dixon said several showings of the TSIS, both locally and nationally, are scheduled throughout the fall, including rollout demonstrations for the OARnet staff and the OSU community.

ITEC-Ohio director Pankaj Shah said, "Although this is not the first Internet satellite system to be built, the key differences are that this is affordable, easy to transport, and easy to deploy.

Shah added, "Our goal was to design a system that could be fabricated inexpensively, that could be easily taken into remote areas, and, with minimal user training, could be operated by public school teachers, librarians, and persons lacking technology experience. We are taking this satellite dish into remote and underserved communities to demonstrate the potential for flexible broadband, Internet connectivity, as well as to demystify wireless technology."

"We're doing this to provide connectivity for underserved and typically rural areas that don't have any sort of connectivity and perhaps lack the financial resources for terrestrial connectivity. We hope to be able to help these communities obtain affordable Internet satellite connectivity by exposing them to the satellite and wireless options available today," Shah said.

The TSIS has a variety of economic implications for Ohio, particularly in reducing the cost of last-mile connectivity for education, research, local governments, community events, medical consultation, virtual laboratories, streaming video, emergency management, law enforcement, disaster recovery, and much more.

A major goal of the TSIS is to extend educational opportunities to underserved areas, especially to the adult learning populations throughout rural Ohio. Rather than commuting to major cities for classes and coursework, students will be able to receive distance education courses through their local libraries, schools, or community centers.

In addition to the technological implications, the project has major outreach potential for the OSU Extension Services, according to Alan Escovitz, director for external affairs, OSU Office of the CIO. "This is all in step with OSU's broad mission of narrowing the digital divide and transitioning the State into the new knowledge economy," said Escovitz, a member of the TSIS research team.

Escovitz envisions the TSIS "As a core resource for OSU's distance education and outreach plan, and as bridging the rich resources of our academic community through high-quality Internet service to Ohio's rural and remote areas, including Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties. OSU faculty could even interact with and teach children in a small school in Appalachia."

Escovitz thinks the possible uses of such technology are endless; "The goad is clear, to expand learning opportunities for Ohioans. Escovitz added, "Picture a faculty member and research team collecting data at a remote site. With the transportable dish, that data could be sent back to a lab, immediately analyzed and transmitted back to the researchers in the field. Or, an OSU professor could teach a class from the field while, through use of this technology, students in the classroom could interact with the professor through real-time interactive videoconferencing."

According to Dixon, the satellite trailer is remarkably versatile. "It can run independently of commercial electricity and, by using its own internal batteries and generator, can provide both wired and wireless Internet connectivity to any building or event; can penetrate the walls of a building and provide wireless connectivity to many computers located inside; and it also provides remote telephone service. It is small and light so it can be pushed by hand to locations where towing vehicles cannot go."

ITEC-Ohio is a division of OARnet; OARnet is a division of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, a technology initiative of the Ohio Board of Regents. ITEC-Ohio is supported, in part, by a grant from the Ohio Technology Action Fund through the Ohio Department of Development.

 

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