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Wi-Max Network connects teaching institutions in Ouro Preto

Project has the support of RNP, Intel and MEC

Ouro Preto is part of history once again. The city, considered a cultural asset of mankind by UNESCO, is living a pioneering experience in the country: the implantation of a wide range Wi-Max network. The connected institutions are three public state schools and two municipal schools; Ouro Preto’s Public Municipal Library; the municipal Planning and Health secretariats; and the Laboratory of Computer Networks of the Computer Science Department of the Federal University of Ouro Preto (Ufop). Later, three more municipal schools and two state schools will be linked, using Wi-Fi connected to the Wi-Max network.

Professor Américo Tristão Bernardes, from Ufop’s Physics Department, was in charge of the executive coordination of the project. Bernardes is also the representative of the Ministry of Education (MEC) in the Administrative Council of the National Education and Research Network (RNP) Association and former director of MEC’s Distance Education Secretariat.

Experimental Network

It all started in June 2004, when an agreement was signed by Intel and MEC for the connection of schools to the Internet with wireless technology. The Ministry of Education invited RNP to participate in the project, and, two months later, there was a training session in Brasília. A first experience was made in the federal capital in the last trimester of 2004, with a range of 35 Km. It was a preview of what would happen in Ouro Preto.

The installation of the equipment in the city in Minas Gerais occurred in March 2005. There were some reasons for choosing that place. Since Ouro Preto is a Brazilian historical asset, a series of norms restrict local intervention, making it difficult to install underground fibers. Moreover, the irregular topography of the city, built on top of hills, hinders communication with antennas needing line of sight. For these reasons, Ouro Preto does not have large scale broadband connections.

Production network

The experimental phase of the project was over this month. The equipment used belonged to Aperto and Alvarion and operated at 3.5 GHz, a non-public frequency, thanks to a temporary Anatel concession. In the next stage, starting in October 2005, Ouro Preto’s Wi-Max network will stop being a project and become a production network, functioning at a public frequency – 5.8 GHz –, which represents a new challenge, as reports Professor Carlos Frederico Cavalcanti, in charge of the Laboratory of Computer Networks of the Computer Science Department, who is coordinating this project’s research work, together with Ufop students:

— The Wi-Max equipment, using the public frequency of 5.8GHz and competing with other equipment, had its performance tremendously affected. We are still evaluating the new equipment, in this frequency.

The network was configured to have two Internet outlets: one, via RNP, for education and research institutions ("educational network"); and the other, via telecommunications operators, for other organizations ("commercial network"). In the first front, RNP enlarged Ufop’s connection capacity to the national academic backbone to 34 Mbps, making external access feasible without affecting the project. At the other extreme, Telemar lent two 2 Mbps links for the commercial access.

Although one can expect a nominal transmission rate of 75 Mbps from the Wi-Max technology, during the pilot in Ouro Preto a rate of around 14 Mbps was reached, which, in many cases, is not little for a peer to peer connection.

— We have to consider that the 75 Mbps rate is altered by several factors, such as the operation frequency, the possibility or not of line of sight, the distance, and, finally, the stage of technology development itself. Wi-Max equipment covering a great distance implies smaller transfer rates — explains Cavalcanti.

Partnerships

The project “Ouro Preto: Digital City” is the result of the partnership of several public and private organizations. Intel, one of the leaders of the international Wi-Max project, gave network equipment and microcomputers. MEC’s Distance Education Secretariat contributed with 50 more machines to be installed in five municipal schools. RNP lent equipment and is making the connection of five other public schools by Wi-Fi. Ouro Preto’s mayor has supported all the actions of the project, enabling its implantation in schools. The Cefet in Ouro Preto is giving logistical support, and the company Barroco Informática is trying to establish a self-sustainable model of business for the network. The aforementioned equipment manufacturers Alvarion and Aperto, as well as Telemar and Anatel, have also collaborated.

— The role of the partners was extremely important to the success of the project. Without the support of the institution, the direction and the technicians of each partner, it would have been impossible to carry out this project — says Professor Carlos Frederico Cavalcanti. — RNP had a key role in the development of the project. It participated in its initial elaboration, when the creation of pilots of communitarian networks was proposed and a technology meeting the needs of smaller communities was sought. Besides, it contemplated the increase of the link and temporarily lent some equipment. We believe that, without the help of this important partner, the project would not have the same visibility and its aims would be more diffuse — he adds.

What is Wi-Max?

Wi-Max, also known as Wi-MAX or WiMAX, is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a wireless broadband technology, capable of acting as an alternative to technologies such as cable and DSL in the construction of communitarian networks and supply of last mile access. In theory, Wi-Max equipment is expected to have a range of up to 50 Km and a traffic capacity of up to 70 Mbps. In practice, its range and band will depend on the equipment and the frequency used, as well as on the existence or not of line of sight (that is to say, if the antenna of a point can "see" the antenna of another, if there are no obstacles in the way – such as constructions or mountains).

The technology was developed by a pool of companies, led by Intel and Nokia, based on the norm 802.16 from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IEEE), established by the Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards. Besides operating in a wide range of frequency – from 2 to 66 GHz – its main advantages are the broadband, wide range and no need for line of sight, which does not happen with other wireless technologies. Wi-Fi, for instance, based on IEEE 802.11, was developed to function in local networks (LAN), thus having short range. It is just the opposite of Wi-Max, developed to function in metropolitan networks (MAN). In many cases, as it is being demonstrated in the project Ouro Preto: Digital City, the two technologies act complementarily.

The advance of wireless networks is a reality we cannot escape from. Several companies and institutions have their wireless bases for the connection of laptops in local networks. It is expected that the Wi-Max technology will start to be incorporated to notebooks and PDAs in 2006. Some companies estimate that by 2009 there will be 4.4 million people using voice over Wi-Max. Brazil is taking an important step by implanting Wi-Max technology in Ouro Preto. Wireless technologies can help the country to accelerate projects of digital inclusion, principally in regions lacking infrastructure such as optical fiber cables.

[RNP, 27.09.2005]