Carl Landn June 2012
June 30, 2012 Why the name Cyte? Listening t the Cytes cmmunicating t each ther late ne night, ver the hill and thrugh the wds, I thught, hw great it wuld be if we humans culd cmmunicate just as free and unencumbered, regardless f terrain, deep wds, muntains r pen fields. Like the cytes cmmunicating within their wn cmmunity, I thught that we culd create a lcal netwrk, ptentially cnnecting every huse in twn. Then it dawned n me that we culd cnnect this netwrk t the Internet via a Business Class Service, anywhere in range, and all be cnnected t the Internet. What is the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk? A lw cst secure netwrk f mini cmputers always cnnected (high speed 25Mbs) ver the airwaves cvering the entire ppulated prtin f the twn (apprximately 14 miles) frm Frst Valley t Greenville. This netwrk wuld exist n its wn regardless f utside crprate interest and be authrized by the FCC as required, using an ld analg TV frequency (abandned when the natin went digital). The mre hmes cnnected the strnger the netwrk. Fr instance, each hme wuld be able t hld a videcnference with all ther hmes simultaneusly (vice and/r vide) depending n the capability f yur wn persnal cmputer. Hw des this cnnect t the Internet? Once the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk is established, r tested t wrk, we cntract with an utside cmpany (ie. Verizn, Time Warner, r AT&T) fr business class (2Gbs r better) service anywhere in reach f ur Cmmunity Netwrk and set up a server (Mac Mini) t handle the digital traffic. All huses cnnected t the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk will have access t the Internet. The first mdel prjectins shuld be 100 hmes t distribute the cst f business class service, althugh the Mac Mini Server will handle 250 simultaneus cnnectins easily. Business Class Service divided by 100 wuld be included in the mnthly fee fr unlimited high speed internet access. Will this include Cell Phne Service? If yur cell phne cnnects t wireless (ie. iphne, ipad, Blackberry, Andrid, etc...) then yu will have access in and arund yur hme with n additinal mnthly fee utilizing all the cell phne functins. Nte that the wireless is an individual ptin and all access is passwrd prtected, meaning that yur neighbrs will nt have access t yur service unless yu give them yur passwrd, r they are cnnected t the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk. What is the Cst f these Services (Netwrk, Internet, Wireless)? The basic mnthly cst per husehld fr the Netwrk/Internet Service shuld be arund $15 t $20, and we will strive t keep it lw. This lw mnthly cst includes sme mney set aside fr replacement equipment, as needed. Fr thse that nly use it fr the summer mnths will have a reduced rate $8 t $12 while nt in use. There will be an initial cst per hme fr the Netwrk s Mini Cmputers arund $35 and an Antenna, hpefully under $65. The hmewner, if they chse can setup a wireless cnnectin (many inexpensive mdels t chse frm, we will recmmend a few), but this is nt needed t cnnect yur cmputer t the Netwrk/Internet. The initial establishment f the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk will nt be expensive as mst f the infrastructure will be made frm kits and mst f the wrk vluntary (need sme vlunteers). The hme electric t run the cnnectin t the netwrk shuld be equivalent t a nightlight, arund 6 watts and can be run n batteries (abut 5 vlts). What are the steps t get up and running? We can achieve this in 4 Stages: 1 Get fast track apprval frm the FCC t use an ld analg TV frequency (say, channel 21 512-518 MHz). 2 Get sme equipment and start setup/testing. Establish the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk (initially a minimum f 3 t 5 lcatins/hmes wrking). 3 While cnnecting mre lcatins/hmes cntract with a majr Internet prvider fr Business Class Service. 4 Setup a nt fr prfit type business t handle billing, trubleshting/maintenance as needed, and in general, business services fr the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk.
Our Fur Phase Plan fr Denning s Cmmunity Netwrk and High Speed Internet Access. Stage 1 FCC Apprval t use the Airwaves: Petitined ur Cngressman and Senatrs t get a fast track apprval t use an Old Analg TV Frequency say Channel 21 (512-518MHz) and be placed n the Official Database guaranteeing ur use in the Twn f Denning fr years t cme. Befre spending any measurable amunt f mney, we need t get fast track apprval frm the FCC t use an ld analg TV frequency. Withut this we shuld g n farther with this plan. T date we missed 3 imprtant deadlines. There is a database, maintained by 7 large crpratins, f all thse using the ld analg TV frequencies. In the beginning all smene had t d was apply and indicate that they were testing and there was n interference with ther uses, at that time. Thse with valid test results were granted rights t use the frequency and placed n the database. Then the FCC basically clsed the dr in September 2011. The Senate had them recnsider and in the Jbs Bill passed in February f this year there was an amendment that required the FCC t pen up the airwaves t the public again. The FCC again granted mre successful testers withut interference t ther uses again and we missed that deadline. Nw the nly way is t get permissin t test and if sme larger established crpratin cmes in with their signal we wuld have t cease bradcast. A side nte: In the cuntry there are still small bradcasters using the ld analg TV Frequencies and they have t cnvert t digital by September 2013. S at that time the FCC will prbably have decided uses fr all the ld TV Frequencies, but still respect the user listed n the Database. Hpeless? N. I find that sme cmmunities have petitined their Cngressman and Senatrs t help get n the Database ther than just fr testing purpses. We d nt want t spend t much mney r effrt unless we can get sme guarantee that we will have use fr years t cme. Once n the database, if a large crpratin wants t mve in and interfere with ur frequency, they wuld have t pay fr us t mve t a new frequency and replace any equipment as needed. Stage 2 Build an Initial (Small Scale) Denning Cmmunity Netwrk: Get sme funding via grants r ther surces, as we need arund $3000 t buy sme equipment. Scpe ut a lgical site fr the first installatin. Cnnect up t 5 hme cmputers t make sure each lcatin can cmmunicate with the ther. Our first Denning Cmmunity Netwrk. We might be able t get sme funding via grants r ther surces (need arund $3000) t buy sme equipment including: 1 transmitter/receiver (kit) hub, sme antennas, 1 ld cmputer running Linux Server (pen surce sftware - free), Nte: This will be replaced later with a new Mac Mini Server cnnecting t the Internet, Then 5 mini cmputers running Linux fr netwrking (abut $35 each with free pen surce sftware). We need t scpe ut sme lgical sites fr the first installatin f the transmitter/receiver (first hub) fr ur netwrk. N large antennas, nly smething like an ld TV antenna n smene s rftp r barn. Cnnect and netwrk up t 5 hme cmputers t make sure each lcatin can cmmunicate with the ther. Equipment: By the time we are finished with the entire prject the equipment utlay shuld nt exceed $9,000. This includes the Internet server and netwrk cmpnents. Fr this stage nly $3,000 r less and we will have a wrking netwrk.
Stage 2 (cntinued) - Equipment There is a grup called Radi Free Berkley that has strived t cntinue free bradcasting micr statins using Radi and TV Frequencies. They nt nly ffer classes but they have inexpensive transmitter kits arund $300 plus amplifier arund $250 and ther cmpnents as needed. The site is full f useful infrmatin if yu are ging t build and perate lw pwer analg TV transmitters. They will even build them fr yu fr extra mney, still reasnable. This is a gd surce fr ur equipment and instructin. There are many ther sites arund the glbe but this ne has the right pineer attitude. Gergia Tech University students came up with a netwrk prgram that runs n a Linux cmputer perating systems (pen surce and free) and it cnnects t ther similar cmputers running the same prgram creating a wireless netwrk. The cmputers share space n each thers drive t mve arund data at high speeds. The mre cmputers cnnected the mre pwerful and reliable the netwrk. Just what we seek. They ffer this prgram fr free and it dwnlads ff the Internet, alng with instructins and even sme supprt. Just what we need. Nw yu might say but we dn t wn Linux perating systems. There is an rganizatin in the UK that came up with a cmputer the size f a credit card, named Raspberry PI. There intent is t make ne affrdable fr every student in the wrld, t learn and prgram in a digital envirnment which they may never be able t access therwise. These mini cmputers run the pen surce perating system Linux. There are 2 mdels ne $25 and the ther $35 cmplete with case. The hard drive is an 32GB SD card like the nes in yur camera. They run a full versin f Linux and can be prgrammed. Yu can hk up a keybard and muse and mnitr (nt that we need t fr general use) and prgram install the netwrk prgram frm Gergia Tech. This wuld nly have t be dne nce and the SD Card can be duplicated t slip int all the ther mini cmputers in the netwrk. There is a supprt frum that gives great instructin and several versins f Linux fr this mini cmputer. The $35 versin (mdel B) is netwrk ready and has an Ethernet prt. 2 USB prts, and a HDMI vide prt. Basically a full cmputer, in a mini case with all the prts, runs n 5 vlts, perating system is Linux, and it s nly $35. Just what we need. Each hme n ur Denning Cmmunity Netwrk will use this mini cmputer Raspberry Pi t interface with the netwrk. This Raspberry Pi will interface with any ther persnal hme cmputer yu might have via Ethernet, r yu can hk up WiFi fr yur wn use. Nte the demand fr these mini cmputers may make them hard t get, currently nly ne per custmer. Raspberry Pi / Mdem: We culd create an internal emulated mdem like the ld Windws systems use t have and we wuld need an amplifier t the antenna t send and receive t the netwrk. The USB prt will handle 1 amp utput and frequencies up t 450MBs which is far mre than we need as we bradcast at 25Mbs. The mdem des nt require switching as it is in ready mde r use mde and it wuld be a virtual device. The amplifier (perhaps a kit frm Radi Shack) wuld need t interface via USB. There is a standard we need t lk at which was created fr the analg TV frequencies IEEE 802.22 and we shuld use this fr future cmpatibility. Radi Frequency Antennas are available everywhere. I spke t smene wh is willing t find a match r even build ne if needed. We wuld need ne fr the hubs and ne fr each hme. Fr the hme I ve seen a 4 ft fiberglass (similar t the ld CB antennas) that is used fr 900 MHz and this might wrk fr us. It bradcast mni directinal up t a mile. Mre research needs t be dne regarding antennas. There are Sprtsman slar chargers used fr critter cams fr $15 that culd be used in cnjunctin with a battery t pwer the mini cmputers that are nt in being used when sme residents leave fr the winter. This wuld reinfrce the netwrk cmmunicatin. We need t think f pwer utages when we plan the netwrk s mst f it can stay active fr sme time t allw us t cmmunicate with each ther as needed during a disaster. This is nt needed t get up and running but we shuld cnsider this ahead f time. There is enugh frequency fr each ld analg TV statin (6MHz span) that we might (if using channel 21) be able t transmit n 514Mhz and receive n 516Mhz this wuld speed things up and cut dwn n reflective radi transmissins. All this can be wrked ut nce we have sme test equipment t wrk with and knw what statin we are allwed t use. And there are ther issues, like maximum allwable wattage regulated by the FCC, that will present themselves as we g live, but it s all manageable. There is als ther surces f transmitters/receivers that were used in ld VCR s and sme f this circuitry might prve useful.
Stage 3 Business Plan fr the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk and Internet Access. We need a viable business mdel t cntract services with the utside wrld, and maintain a mnthly accunt f services we ffer t ur cmmunity. Perhaps there is a nt fr prfit cmpany that can help in the initial stages but we need autnmy at sme pint when we are established. We need t get t a pint where we can sign up fr business class service as Denning Cmmunity Netwrk in rder fr all f us t cnnect t the Internet. There are many things we can accmplish in the beginning stages f this plan and here is a list f a few things that need t be dne: We need a list f all residents wh are interested in the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk. Even thugh the gal is t prvide Internet service t all residents we shuld first fcus n thse willing t jin and participate. While gathering that inf we culd get sme petitins written and signed that we wuld be frwarding t ur Senatrs and Cngressman. We als need sme letters written t explain ur ideas t help with the acquisitin f FCC apprval. As we develp ur netwrk we need a means f cmmunicating ur prgress. We need smene t lk at tp maps and site lcatins that wuld best prvide the mst efficient cverage f ur netwrk frm Frst Valley t Greenville and pints in between. The analg frequencies we intend t use d nt require line f site and higher lcatins are preferred. We need smene t lead the grup, smene as treasure, smene as secretary, and a bard t make decisins. Als sme srt f by-laws t fllw. Smene needs t research the best business plan available cnsidering cst and reliability, and speed. Cnsider the revenue frm the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk members (apprximately $15 t $20 per mnth) and cmmit t a mnthly cntract fr Internet access. Stage 4 Running the Denning Cmmunity Netwrk and Internet Access. Once the netwrk is functining, minimum effrt wuld be required t keep it ging, but we still need an versight bard t take care f business. N ne is ging t d this fr us and the savings will be sufficient ver nrmal Internet cnnectin (if ne existed) t justify an hur a mnth frm each f us t keep it ging. There are many ther small cmmunities acrss the cunty, state and cuntry that culd use us as a mdel and if we dcument ur experience well we can charge fr a hw t guide using the mnies fr upgraded equipment as needed. Our netwrk will cme in handy fr disasters and emergencies if we plan it with frethught. This is nt a viable prfit business but if successful we culd head in that directin. Mnthly fees wuld be a cnsideratin. Estimated cst fr High Speed Internet Access fr the first 100 residents... $100 per husehld fr the infrastructure ne time cst, $35 each fr the mini netwrk cmputer ne time cst, an antenna (arund $65), $15 fr first mnths internet fee.