Using UNII-3 (Wi-Fi) Frequencies to Establish Long Distance Point-to-Point Links Capable of Providing Broadband Internet Access to Rural Areas: Experimental Validation

This paper demonstrates use of UNII-3 (Wi-Fi) frequencies, 5.725 - 5.825GHz in setting up long distance point-to-point links, capable of providing broadband internet in rural areas. Although this frequency band was intended for indoor wireless local area networks, its lack of licensing and inexpensive off-shelf networking devices has prompted many researchers and technology enthusiasts to extend its use to outdoor settings. This paper presents a long distance point-to-point test-bed model that uses high-gain directional antennas that may be replicated to provide broadband internet access in rural areas particularly in developing countries. Six long-distance point-to-point links have been set up. A link distance of 24.3kilometers, the longest so far, has been achieved. A peak throughput of 98.4Mbps has been observed on all of the links set up, irrespective of their link lengths. This test-bed model is easy and inexpensive to implement and it may be replicated to provide broadband internet access in the rural areas. This paper validates the use of these unlicensed frequencies and proves that as long as a clear line of sight between the nodes is achievable, high bandwidth link may be achieved capable of serving 1000+ simultaneous users each utilizing at least 100kbps. Keywords: Point-to-point links, long distance Wi-Fi, broadband for rural areas, directional antenna