Design of a Wireless Network for Rural Communities

Volume 7 Issue 2 July - September 2018

Research Paper

Design of a Wireless Network for Rural Communities

Osahon Okoro*, Azom E. Edim**

* Academic Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Calabar, Nigeria.

**Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Calabar, Nigeria.

Osahon,O.,and Edim,A.E. (2018).Design of a Wireless Network for Rural Communities. i-manager's Journal on Wireless Communication Networks,7(2), 32-41. https://doi.org/10.26634/jwcn.7.2.15608

Abstract

Wireless networks are expensive to build and maintain but are best option for rural communities because of the nature of rural environments. The absence of affordable Internet services in such communities continues to impact negatively on socio-economic growth. The aim of this study was to design an enhanced wireless network for rural dwellers. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected for the design and evaluation of wireless network infrastructure in five rural locations. The results showed that for more than a year, the system performance is optimal with an average of 200 users per month and good quality of service. The transmit/receive rate of 300Mbps was three times faster than the normal Ethernet specification with an average throughput of 1 Mbps of strong signal strength. The point-to-multipoint network design increased the network throughput and the distance of signal reach and penetration, and with quality of service and affordable service.