VillageNet: A Low-Cost, 802.11-Based Mesh Network for Rural Regions

VillageNet is a wireless mesh network that aims to provide low-cost broadband Internet access for rural regions. The cost of building the network is kept low by using off-the-shelf IEEE 802.11 equipment and optimizing the network topology to minimize cost. This paper describes the over-all operation of VillageNet and discusses two fundamental problems in building such a network. Nodes in VillageNet communicate using long-distance point to-point wireless links that are established using high-gain directional antenna.