NEWS RELEASE
November 25 2002
UniSA
puts rural access to satellite services within reach
Shared access
points using leading edge transmission technologies could make broadband satellite
communications services for people in rural and remote Australia up to ten times cheaper
than existing commercial services, a University of South Australia study shows.
While broadband
services are increasing rapidly, a significant number of people in rural areas don’t
have access to satellite technology because it remains too expensive, according to Dr
Sylvie Perreau, Senior Research Fellow at UniSA’s Institute of Telecommunications
Research (ITR).
“Some rural
communities have one satellite dish for their school and a dish for the medical centre, as
well as satellite dishes purchased by individual users who want a satellite connection.
That’s very expensive,” Dr Perreau said.
“At the
moment the dishes are subsidised by the government, which is not economically viable.
“Our aim is
to provide satellite broadband access to remote areas using Rural Access Points (RAP) with
a single satellite link. While the concept of supplying communications needs through a
single satellite hub is not new, combining a number of leading edge transmission and
network technologies enables the satellite link to be shared very efficiently between many
users,” Dr Perreau said.
Using turbo
coding, a new technology developed at ITR, multiple users will be able to access the broad
bandwidth satellite link simultaneously, with increased throughput, reduced costs and
greater flexibility than existing systems, according to Professor Bill Cowley, Director of
ITR and supervisor of the RAP project, which is being coordinated by Dr Perreau, with
Senior Research Fellow, Dr Adrian Barbulescu, ITR’s specialist in turbo coding.
“With
multiple users sharing one connection, the network traffic has to be shaped and managed to
eliminate congestion, maximise the number of users and to override some users to give
priority based on certain criteria. Priority use could include rare occasions when greater
bandwidth is required for transmission of large documents that need urgent attention, such
as interactive telehealth services,” Dr Perreau said.
A Network
Performance (NP) device has been developed at Foursticks
Pty Ltd to monitor, intelligently control and manage network traffic and ITR
researchers are working with Foursticks to adapt the company’s NP device for RAP
applications.
Dr Perreau said
that in determining the service and traffic class priorities, discussions should take
place within rural and remote communities to ensure a fair share of the bandwidth and to
further improve the performance of the network, perhaps with certain
‘bandwidth-hungry’ applications given very low priority until off peak periods.
“All of the
technology is already available and we are now seeking funding to build a demonstrator
ground station using the turbo coding approaches and traffic shaping in this community
ground station context,” Professor Cowley said.
“With
suitable funding and support from medical and education authorities, we could set up a
demonstration Random Access Point in a rural community within six to eight months.
“Satellite
communications using Rural Access Points will not only provide financial benefits, but the
diverse needs served will bring the community together, resulting in additional
socio-economical benefits,” Professor Cowley said.
Media
contact: Geraldine Hinter (08) 8302 0963 or 0417 861832
