New Intel WiFi goes the distance

INTEL RECKONS it has discovered how to extend a Wi-Fi signal between antennas situated 155 km (96 miles) apart.

A senior platform manager at Intel, Jeff Galinovsky, told Technology Review that the new wireless technology has been dubbed the Rural Connectivity Platform (RCP) and that it should help to connect remote villages to the Web. With data rates of about 6.5 megabits a second, he reckons that the new wireless system will help students in developing countries and allow people in remote areas to access things like video conferencing and telemedicine.

RCP uses a processor, radios, special software and an antenna. It is basically a point-to-point technology which needs only two nodes. One node can be set up at the edge of a town or city and is then wired to a local-area network cable, dispersed using standard cables and wireless routers. Then, with the use of an antenna, data is beamed to another antenna which could be up to 155 km away.

Galinovsky explains that it’s not the hardware that makes RCP ground-breaking, but the software which allows for the rewriting of communication rules pertaining to Wi-Fi radios. It allows for particular time periods in which the two radios can either listen or talk, ensuring that no superfluous data gets sent to confirm transmissions.

The RCP also doesn’t require too much power, with two or three radio links consuming only about six watts. Galinovsky reckons that this means the radios could be powered by solar energy.

Intel has already tested its RCP in India, Panama, Vietnam, and South Africa . It plans to start selling it in India later on in the year for less than $500. µ

L'Inqs
Technology Review
video with technical explanation of the RCP