HopScotch - a low-power renewable energy base station network for rural broadband access

The provision of adequate broadband access to communities in sparsely populated rural areas has in the past been severely restricted. In this paper, we present a wireless broadband access test bed running in the Scottish Highlands and Islands which is based on a relay network of low-power base stations. Base stations are powered by a combination of renewable sources creating a low cost and scalable solution suitable for community ownership. The use of the 5~GHz bands allows the network to offer large data rates and the testing of ultra high frequency ``white space'' bands allow expansive coverage whilst reducing the number of base stations or required transmission power. We argue that the reliance on renewable power and the intelligent use of frequency bands makes this approach an economic green radio technology which can address the problem of rural broadband access

Pop-up 5G standalone non-public networks (SNPNs) for live broadcast production

A portable, pop-up private standalone 5G network has been developed and deployed around the world in a series of successful proof-of-concepts for outside broadcast production in remote locations. The flexible software-defined radio (SDR) allows us to rapidly customise the network to the environment and requirements, with low-latency configurations and heavy uplink biasing in the bi-directional RF channel to support multiple wireless camera feeds. We used shared spectrum available in the n78 and upper n77 bands (3.3–4.2 GHz) in UK, Ireland, Kenya and New Zealand to deliver live-to-air footage. We explored the use of bonding multiple low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and cellular backhaul, which allowed us to broadcast the Pitlochry Highland Games live from rural Scotland into the IBC 2022 show in Amsterdam. This paper will discuss the critical technical capabilities of the pop-up private 5G network and how broadcasters have rapidly deployed the technology to support historic and sporting events, including the final journey from Scotland of Queen Elizabeth II and the Danish parliamentary elections. We will also explore how to configure connectivity for optimum performance

Student voice(s) on the enactment of the research-teaching nexus

This chapter offers a students’-eye view of the relationship between teaching and research through a meta-analysis of enquiries undertaken by student researchers in nine disciplinary areas in which students interviewed academics about their perceptions of the research-teaching nexus. Analysis of these investigations reveals a range of views held by academics (even within the same department) about the value of linking teaching and research. The analysis also demonstrates the value of partnering ‘students-as-researchers’ rather than simply conducting ‘research on students’. As a consequence of considering students as partners here, we offer a modification to the idea that the scholarship of teaching should necessarily be student-centred, but rather that students and staff should share a discipline-centred gaze

A critical evaluation of recent progress in understanding the role of the research-teaching link in higher education

Research into the relationship between research and teaching in higher education has flourished over several decades, and the most recent research phase has focused particularly on how the research-teaching nexus can enhance the quality and outcomes of the learning experience for both students and academics. On the basis of bibliographic review, this article concludes that progress in answering the fundamental questions posed by researchers in the early 1990s and earlier has been limited. Diverse practice has been categorised, shared and evaluated against broad criteria, while questions about the inherent nature and value of the nexus in higher education remain as yet unanswered within the research theme and within the broader consideration of higher education policy and practice. Recent research provides an enriched evidence base on which earlier questions of principle and policy might usefully be reconsidered

Theory development and application in higher education research:tribes and territories

This paper examines the idea of tribes and territories, as an example of a theory developed and applied within higher education research of relevance to higher education policy. It traces the origins and meaning of the term, reviews its application by higher education researchers and discusses the issues it raises and the critiques it has attracted. It is concluded that while, like all theoretical frameworks, tribes and territories has strengths and weaknesses, it remains of use for thinking about academics, disciplines, their relations and associated policy areas