Techno PH| Internet on the Ocean

Project Details

Awards & Nominations

Techno PH has received the following awards and nominations. Way to go!

Global Nominee

The Challenge | Internet on the Ocean

The internet is not easily accessible in many areas of the world, like the Earth’s oceans. Fishermen, sailors, and others have limited data connection with the rest of the world. Although satellite internet is widely available, it is very expensive for a user to implement. Your challenge is to design a low-cost method of delivering internet to people located far away on the ocean.

WISH: Wonderful Internet Service is Here

A technology of software and hardware devices that aims to bring Internet access to far-flung areas of the Philippines using the VHF spectrum. This is to provide inclusive services to coastal dwellers in fields such as education, governance and etc.

Techno PH




















WHO ARE WE

We are technologists that have diverse background in the fields of research, electronics, information and communications, and management. We are also travelers who have seen various communities that are deprived of latest and useful information. Currently, we have applied ICT in various projects in the Philippine region.


WHAT MAKES OUR TEAM SPECIAL

We are lifelong learners, out-of-the-box thinkers dedicated to finding solutions toward digital inclusion.

oUR PASSION

Our anger and love combo is on our engagements in solving real-world and genuine problems through innovation. We bring life to people by integrating community-based approaches and technological solutions.


introduction

The Province of Iloilo, is located right in the heart of the Philippines. There are thriving coastal communities in the Northern part of Iloilo, such as the ones located in the islands of the Municipality of Concepcion and the Isla Gigantes of Estancia.

These are classic examples of growing communities in the southeast that are centers of tourism due to its lovely beaches and picturesque views that are comparable with the Boracay Island. Moreover, Isla Gigantes is a site with rich resources in its ocean floors (i.e considered as biodiversity hot spots) enabling researchers and scientists to modernize medicines in their research of cancer-curing microbes and antibiotics.

But more than just a travel and research destinations, these communities have a growing population that needs services in education, governance, banking, tourism management, among others.


THE PROBLEM

Though a thriving community, there is a wide Internet disconnect in the areas mentioned. The bigger picture tells us that the Philippines has 832 municipalities, 54 percent of which are coastal. This means that almost all major cities are in the coastal area. The same data reveals that 62 percent of the population lives in the coastal zone. Majority of these inhabitants have no access to the Internet.

While the United Nations had previously declared that Internet Access is a Human Right, the archipelagic topography of the Philippines is at poses a challenge to many dwellers as Internet access to the these coastal areas may not be possible due to the limitations of current wired fixed telephone bundled with data services in the last mile. The need to have Internet connection across all parts of the country and of the entire nation becomes universally imperative.

One of the many approaches is the utilization wireless technologies such as (1)the use of cellular phone data, (2)the deployment of point-to-point (or point-to-multipoint) microwave technologies (3) the use of satellite phones for data connectivity.

In the use of cellular phone data, the subject current coastal areas are limited to either no cellular phone signal or can be logged on to a 2G network (i.e data throughput up to 40 kbit/s).

As to point-to-point communication, the current WI-FI technology (IEEE 802.11) on the transmission of Internet is commercially available. The Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) uses the 2.4 gigahertz (12 cm) UHF and 5 gigahertz (6 cm) SHF radio bands.

However, WI-FI technology is challenged by the geographical location of the Philippines. This is because our country is an archipelago which means the country which is composed of many group of Islands surrounded by salt water, differing heights in topography which may result to line-of-sight propagation, degree vegetation and natural structures, and among other features. These elements are factors which can affect signal transmission and reception.

Water in its pure form is considered as an insulator. In its natural state, water contains dissolved salts and other matter which makes it a partial conductor. The higher the conductivity, the greater the attenuation of radio signals which pass through it (Pieraccini, et al, 2009). Second, VHF transmission can be used in Line-of-Sight propagation to communicate over long distances. Maximum transmission can be achieved by choosing a higher ground altitude for the transmitting and the receiving antenna. Lastly, natural structures such as mountains or hills and the degree of vegetation (i.e. forest) contribute to the loss of signal.

The designer should take note of such parameters in order to assure data connectivity and integrity of packets in order to produce good quality-of-service (QoS) Internet to the recipients in the coastal communities.

Further, the distance from the main Island in Estancia going to Isla Gigantes is around 25km. A similar case is true from the main island of Concepcion going to its island communities. The long distance hampers connectivity. Hence, multipoint approach such as using repeaters may be considered. However, saltwater causes signal degradation (loss or attenuation) hence P2P or multipoint may be reevaluated.

Lastly, as to the usage of satellite phone's services, our data reveals that hotspots may cost USD 750 worth of 120 units, excluding the handset cost.

OUR BIG IDEA

The microwave frequencies have become more and more crowded as transceivers have become more commercially and readily available. The overcrowding may result to noise and eventual interference in the communications process.

Team Techno PH's out-of-the-box (i.e thinking design) approach is to utilize the Very High Frequency spectrum (i.e. 30 to 300 megahertz) because it has lesser usage at the moment. The lessening is attributed to the on-going migration of television broadcast from analog to digital (ISDB-T) in the Philippines.

We introduce WISH (Wonderful Internet Service is Here)- an out-of-the-box technology that is intended for the Coastal Communities in the Island of the Philippines (and of the world) that are in dire need of data connectivity. It gives families and other stakeholders that are on remote locations the power of information through the Internet.

It can open doors to an inclusive service for the following sectors: education, research, governance, tourism and banking.

OUR SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION

“WE ARE STRONGER WHEN WE LISTEN, AND SMARTER WHEN WE SHARE.''

- Rania Al Abdullah

The usage of the Very High Frequency (VHF) spectrum from transmission of Internet data is stipulated in the IEEE 802.22 standard- Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN). It is encouraged that the available spaces in the television (TV) frequency spectrum will be used.

According to IEEE, these spaces are referred to as white spaces. These are the unused frequency channels that exist between different assigned channels that acts as guard bands to to avoid noise or interference. The migration of analog television to digital television freed up the frequency bands that were originally occupied by analog TVs or otherwise could not be used due to potential interference to analog TVs. The combination of the unused frequencies (guard bands) and freed-up analog TV channels provides an opportunity for applications that are in need of frequency bands.

According to IEEE, the development of the WRAN standard is aimed at using cognitive radio (CR) techniques to allow sharing of geographically unused spectrum allocated to the television broadcast service, on a non-interfering basis, to bring broadband access to hard-to-reach, low population density areas, typical of rural environments, and is therefore timely and has the potential for a wide applicability worldwide. It is the first worldwide effort to define a standardized air interface based on CR techniques for the opportunistic use of TV bands on a non-interfering basis.

Techno Ph's approach is by the use of two elements: (1) Softwares and (2) Hardwares

  • Softwares Developed. The Wish Calculator.
  • Hardwares. The technology will be composed of a directional antenna (Yagi-Uda Array), antenna pole set-up, and signal transceiver box.

HOW DOES IT WORK

WISH can be pictured as the usual Internet service. The main difference is on the transmission of signal which is in the VHF range (Instead of the microwave).

The signal coverage will be in range with the locations of two antenna sites. These sites are to be determined by the users (i.e LGU or private entity). The designer will be aided by TechnoPH’s web application developed such as the Location/Distance Calculator and the Signal Range Calculator.

The team also developed a storm outage warning system that may inform the users of connectivity issues that may be brought by varying weather conditions. These features were developed using NASA's data.

To extend coverage, a signal repeater may be attached to a vessel on sea or mounted to an airplane to form a mesh network.

"Truly Internet on Ocean."

Possible Airplane Routes for Repeater Mounting.
Possible Vessel Routes for Repeater Attachment.

SCALING UP THE TECHNOLOGY

The Whole-of-Nation (WON) Approach will be used to lessen legislative and regulatory challenges. Further this may hasten the creative mergers of various demands from the local government units (LGU), private entities, and dwellers.

Here are some steps:

1. Partnering with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)

2. Collaboration with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

3. Understanding with the Local Government Units.

4. Collaboration with Internet Service Providers (ISP's) and Local Telephone Networks.


CONCLUSION

Help us make this dream a reality.

WISH!

WISH!

Demos

YAGI-UDA ANTENNA 3d MODEL

Simulation of Signal Propagation Using ground-Based Setup
Simulation of Signal Propagation when Mounted in an Airplane

SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS:

SOURCE CODE REPOSITORIES:

Applicable NASA Data Resources:

Other Data Resources:

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES: