EE 3550 Project 4 - Appropriate Communications Technology
This assignment may be done in teams of up to three people.
Team members will receive the same grade.
Although we tend to think in terms of high-tech, well-developed societies
when discussing communications techniques, many opportunities exist in
less-developed countries. In this project, you will outline a communications
infrastructure that is appropriate for an underdeveloped country.
Before you begin
Read the following articles before beginning this assignment
Background
Professor Bolding's SPU stock options have finally matured, and he's now golfing
with Bill Gates twice a week. In one of their conversations, Dr. B. and Mr. G.
come to the conclusion that a reliable communications infrastructure is a
necessary part of any underdeveloped country's transformation. Mr. G. is really
big on the idea that everybody in the world needs high-speed Internet access,
while Dr. B. is more philosophical, believing that free information flow in a
necessary part of the free exchange of ideas that can lead to more just societal
structures. Despite some philosophical differences, together they decide to form
a foundation to build an appropriate
communications infrastructure in an underdeveloped country.
You have been put in charge of developing a plan. Given a startup budget of
$250,000,000, you are
to organize the development of a single country's entire communications
infrastructure.
Parameters
Choose a country with a population that has an underdeveloped communications
infrastructure. For this assignment, that means a country that has less than one
telephone (land line or mobile) per five population. Limit yourself to countries with populations of
5,000,000 and above (i.e. don't choose Antarctica!). Decide what an appropriate
infrastructure is for your country. You'll need to base this on the population,
geography, access to power, etc. You can be the judge of what appropriate
means. However, some things are obvious; for example it is inappropriate to
deploy HDTV broadcast when 90% of households have no electric power service.
Here are some resources to help you get started:
When you have chosen a country, send the instructor an email with your names
and the country you have chosen. Duplicate topics are not allowed. The following
countries have already been chosen:
 | Eritrea - Beyene, Gonzalez, Le |
| Burma - Gere, Huelar, McClanahan |
| Malawi - Johnson, Kim, Sullivan |
| North Korea - Brown, Daczko |
| Ethiopia - Paige |
| Burundi - Boe, Haldeman, Ya |
| Solomon Islands - Byrnes, Byrnes, Holley |
Your Report
Prepare a report that details the needs in your chosen country and your plan for
meeting those needs. Your report should contain, at a minimum, the sections
indicated below. Suggested lengths for each sections are also included. You
should have at least one map of your country in your report that indicates the
general lay of the land and population density.
- Overview of the current status of communications systems in your chosen
country. Include relevant data on supporting systems (i.e. power, housing,
transportation). Be sure to note if there are significant differences in
rural and urban areas. Making a map showing where services are and aren't is
a good way to do this. (600 - 1000 words and 1-2 figures)
- A needs analysis for your country. List communications needs in your
country and prioritize them. I.e. basic telephone service is more important
than digital TV (or is it?). These prioritized needs will become your goals.
(400 - 800 words)
- A plan. Where will you spend your budget? Maps, sample diagrams, and
explanations of where your resources are going are important here. Be certain
to include cost estimates - you can get a start on cost estimates by looking
at the data included below. (1000 - 1500 words and 1-2 figures)
- An analysis. How well does your plan do in meeting the needs you
determined? What are the major constraints in your system? How does your
system scale (how easily can it grow if more funding is obtained)? What are
the prospects for your system to become self-supporting? Etc. (600 - 1000
words)
- References. Provide a bibliography listing all sources you used in your
report.
Supporting Details
You may use the following costs for equipment for your plan and analysis.
These numbers are gross estimates - you may find lower costs for your country.
If you wish to use different cost models, you must provide references that
document the costs you choose.
End-User (Local) Services
| Service Type |
Provider Equipment Cost |
Number of people served |
End User Equipment cost (per user) |
|
DSL, Cable, Fiber, Wired telephone require $10,000/km
for cable installation in urban areas |
| DSL |
$1,000,000 |
2,000 |
$50 |
| Cable |
$1,000,000 |
2,000 |
$50 |
| Fiber |
$1,000,000 |
2,000 |
$500 |
| Wired local telephone |
$1,000,000 |
40,000 |
$30 |
| GEO Satellite (downlink only) |
$100,000,000 (includes launch) |
100,000 |
$200 |
| Cellular Phone |
$200,000 |
2000 |
$30 |
Long-haul Networks
All physical media:
| $1,000/km to install in ground |
| Cannot go over mountains |
| Buildings for repeaters cost $2,000
|
| Medium |
Cost/km |
Capacity |
Repeater Spacing |
| Fiber |
$5,000 |
40Gbps |
40km |
| Twisted Pair |
$2,000 |
1Gbps |
1km |
| Coax |
$4,000 |
4Gbps |
2km |
Wireless:
Microwave tower: $500,000 (spaced appropriately depending on terrain)
RF broadcast tower: $2,000,000
Kevin Bolding
December 05, 2011