SchoolNet Namibia Unveils Wireless Solution

Almost two thirds of Namibian schools still don't have a telephone, but that won't keep them from accessing the internet any more. Construction has begun on an ambitiously novel project to provide
internet service without need of wires or phone lines.

When it's complete, SchoolNet Namibia, which provides internet service to Namibia's learners, will be able to hook up hundreds of schools via a narrow-band radio network that will cover most of the densely populated North, as well as urban pockets.This network will cover almost 900 schools and 54,000 km2," said Kyle Johnston, SchoolNet's technical lead on the project, as he presented the wireless connectivity plan to an audience of African regulators, policy makers and NGO staff on Monday . "We'll use a combination of radio to distribute the connection. It works very well, with no down time."

"This is on the cutting edge from an African development perspective," said Bas Kotterink, IT advisor for British development agency Imfundo after the presentation. "It's an excellent approach…. If you take what (SchoolNet Namibia) is doing, and copy it, it will be years ahead of anything else."Three Windhoek-area schools have already begun surfing wirelessly.
Jan Jonker, A. Shipena and Ella DuPlessis Senior Secondary schools snipped their dial-up lines when SchoolNet began testing the strength of the broadcast network it established on the roof of its Katutura offices three weeks ago.

The system works much in the way that cellular networks do. First, a series of strategically placed towers bring a signal to a given area. . (For more information, see the interactive map.) Devices called subscriber units located on school grounds then pick up the broadcast signal to send and receive
data on pre-ordained frequencies. Bridging technology, which allows signals to hop from tower to tower, then carry the packets back and forth to SchoolNet servers physically connected to the internet.

SchoolNet will erect 45 towers in ten phases over the next three years. Once the last bridge is in place, the network will cover close to 90% of the region bounded by Ruacana to the west, Katima Mulilo in the east, beyond the Angolan border in the north and south to Oshivelo. Smaller broadcast networks will provide service to southerly Keetmanshoop, the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and to a greater number of schools in Windhoek. The venture demands a considerable capital outlay. "We're looking at spending N$23 million," said SchoolNet executive director Joris Komen. "This is a fixed cost for 24 hour, seven-days-a-week connectivity.

"At least ten schools must lie within a 20km radius of a single tower in order for the project to be cost effective. But, Komen said, the cost can be amortized over such a large number of schools that the cost, over ten years, is a sustainable US$18 a month - a fraction of the US$400 monthly costs of running satellite feed, the only other wireless solution available so far in Africa. "Still, in the Namibian school system $N180 is a lot of money," Komen said.

The first phase of implementation will blanket Oshakati, Okahao and Ondangwa with enough bandwidth to put close to a hundred schools online. Four towers, the largest of which will stretch 125 meters above Oshakati, will form the northern network's backbone. From there, schools located even twenty kilometers afield of a radio hub will be able to send email, surf and chat on the internet at speeds often faster than those available over a dial-up connection.The facility at Ondangwa will anchor the wireless network to the wired internet via a dedicated fibre-optic connection.

Whether the model can be exported to other countries without modification remains to be seen. Namibia's small but dense population gives it a distinct advantage, said SchoolNet Africa's Shafika Isaacs. "It's about scale. When we talk about Namibia, we're talking about 1 500 schools. When we talk about (giving wireless coverage in) Ghana, we're talking about 32 000…Is this a solution for all places in Africa?"
See an interactive map of the tower sites.