“…HPWREN is a National Science Foundation-funded network research program developed in 2001 by Hans-Werner Braun, principal investigator at the San Diego Supercomputing Center, and Frank Vernon, co-principle investigator at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It is a non-commercial, prototype wide area network that spans from the Southern California coast to the area’s rugged mountain regions — which peak at 8700 feet above sea level. The longest link between network nodes stretches 72 miles…”

Where’s the classroom? In a WiMAX world, it may not matter

Last week I attended a conference on the digital divide hosted by a Florida school district. A recurring question dealt with providing internet access to disadvantaged kids. Some suggestions for cures included Wi-Fi to community centers where the children of the homeless or migrant farm workers might gather after hours. Unfortunately, that would consume a good deal of assests in identifying those locations and getting service to it.

WiMAX, on the other hand, requires no such planning. In a school district that has blanketed its district with WiMAX, no such planning is necessary. Students need only their WiMAX-enabled devices and they have access to lesson plans, video conferences and webinars with teachers and other students in real time.

Got a snow day or hurricane? No need to disrupt school, just conference the class in! Granted this will take some training for teachers and students alike. In return, student proficiency scores could accelerate with this additional tool.

Frank Ohrtman

WiMAX as an Educational Tool?

WiMAX is a fundamental education tool

I attended a half day conference on the digital divide hosted by Palm Beach County Schools (Florida). Challenges to educators in bridging the digital divide a numerous, but the lead elements are 1) computers and 2) access to the internet. Conference attendees brainstormed on how they can improve the students to computer ration in the district from the current 4.8 students to one computer (yeah, where does the .8 student come from?). A team of students from one high school have built a lab for refurbing computers for student use. Corporate donations of used computers very welcome!

Internet access is another story. Palm Beach County is, largely speaking, a wealthy community. However, some 30% of student homes have no internet access. Those that do might be part of whats described as “access divide”, that is, the “haves” have broadband and the “have nots” have dial-up. This can include teachers as well and may have little to do with money – access just isn’t available where they live. This also assumes the students have homes. How do the children of the homeless or migrant farm workers bridge the digital divide?

Ever the optimist, I was quick to talk up some solutions with my hosts. Remember the consumer electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month with all its cool PC-like mobile handhelds? Assuming the costs for those devices are at acceptable levels (including the so-called “$100 PC”), the computer issues is solved. Like verything else, volume orders bring steep discounts. Hello State Board of Education! Got how many million kids in the system? Hello vendors! Want a PO for a few million handhelds by Friday? That’ll put you on the global vendor map! Did I mention that if people get used to your devices in childhood, they just might be customers for life?

Now for the access piece. At the end of the conference, we broke up into groups of 6 and discussed what our top 5 solutions might be to bridge the digital divide in that county. Almost every group made broadband wireless their top priority. WiMAX, given its range and throughput (translates into an ability to service low income neighborhoods where incumbents won’t go) is the obvious choice. When coupled with the access devices discussed above, WiMAX-based internet access is available all across a school borad’s geographic boundaries.

Technology-wise, there is no excuse for “digital divide” for schools. Money, of course, is an issue. One solution is that many schools own EBS/BRS (2.5/2.6 GHz ) spectrum. Some of that can be auctioned off as sublet to service providers which could generate tens of millions of dollars. With that kind of financial clout, schools need no longer beg for the simplest of access and access dvices.

Frank Ohrtman

WiMax hasn’t necessarily played into the conversation but the telephone companies are trying to pave the way to make it easier to offer ipTV.

I think video streaming and videoconferencing will really drive the need for serious broadband access – because as you say remote is no longer remote!

Thanks! Ann