Home // MESH 2012, The Fifth International Conference on Advances in Mesh Networks // View article
Authors:
Curtis Sahd
Hannah Thinyane
Keywords: Bluetooth bridging; Bluetooth proxying; 802.11 wireless expansion; Mesh; Community telephone networks
Abstract:
Cellular technology has drastically simplified the way in which we communicate with one another. People are far more mobile than before, and yet just as accessible. Cellular technology plays a vital role in connecting remote areas in Africa to one another, and even in and amongst extreme levels of poverty, this technology is still employed. The major problem with cellular networks is that they are expensive to setup, and expensive to maintain, which results in consumers (often those who are living below the breadline) having to pay exorbitant rates for voice communication which often takes place in the bounds of a local community or city. This paper proposes the design and implementation of a free community telephone network in rural areas in South Africa, using low cost, yet efficient technology to fulfill the role of cellular networks. This paper shows how a single high powered Android device (Blue Bridge) can combine the Bluetooth and 802.11 wireless protocols using a lightweight and non-broadcasting based protocol (Linkage) to inform nodes on either network of one another. This paper also proposes the expansion of 802.11 wireless networks, and thus remote connectivity between Blue Bridge nodes through SSID and channel matching.
Pages: 12 to 19
Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012
Publication date: August 19, 2012
Published in: conference
ISBN: 978-1-61208-210-3
Location: Rome, Italy
Dates: from August 19, 2012 to August 24, 2012