There are many high end, high speed internet options for people and businesses in major urban areas of the world but not much success in getting the same kind of service out to rural customers. The cost means not enough ROI to interest the major telecom and cable companies apparently.
Getting access to a useful internet connection has been a real problem for many consumers around the world. So-called developed countries are not any better than backwater services for people who are not near the big service providers.
For years, expensive and limited satellite services have been the only real option. StarLink is in the works but costs close to the same as existing satellite service where it is available (though without the bandwidth limits) and adds a grid of hardware overhead. Cell towers have extended the wireless reach but there are millions of would-be clients outside the reliable reach of even cell phone service.
I've been running into interesting articles about Open RAN (Open Radio Access Networks) as the low cost solution to offer better internet access for rural communities around the world.
Vodafone is currently working on an Open RAN test area in Wales, a country that is part of the UK in the southwest area of England. They also have trials in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique, building on experience in South Africa and Turkey.
Nokia is working on Open RAN projects as well
The RAN is the final link between the network and the phone. It is the visible piece and includes the antennae we see on towers, on top of buildings or in stadia, plus the base stations. When we make a call or connect to a remote server e.g. to watch a YouTube video, the antenna transmits and receives signals to and from our phones or other hand-held devices. The signal is then digitalized in the RAN base station and connected into the network.
and explains how it works here: [
nokia.com...]
Sandro Tavares, the Global Head of Mobile Networks Marketing for Nokia
explains the importance [nokia.com]of the fit-together off-the-shelf technology in making it affordable:
It was decided by the initial groups that were working with this, either the TIP project or the Open RAN alliance, that it would be beneficial for the industry that these interfaces between the different building blocks of the radio network would be standardized,” Tavares said. “So, you could have operators or projects utilizing 5G solutions from different vendors into the same radio network, and it would also reduce the barrier for entry for new vendors in this domain.
For those looking for remote access options, would you consider using Open RAN and is it available where you are? I am also curious about its popularity, cost and function. Is this a good answer?
