Resumen de Delivering eLearning Through Fixed Wireless Broadband Access: A FAntastic Opportunity to Bridge the 'Digital Divide'
With the rapid development and advancement of InfoCommunication Technologies (ICT), the ICT industry is now armed with an alternate and pervasive technology choice and real solution to provide visionary, intelligent services like eLearning, eHealth, and the like, to remote areas of countries, economically, with high availability, resiliency, scalability and Quality of Service (QoS). Traditional Telecommunications system solutions and thinking using wireless, either microwave or point to multi-point in the past have been used effectively for Voice/Facsimile, payphone and legacy communications, where fixed cable networks are uneconomical to provide and which from an engineering point of view, will not work due to distance. However, the big failing of such systems and technologies, was the ability to be able to deliver ‘Bandwidth’. Use of these systems and technologies, has satisfied the concept of Universal Service Obligation (USO, by providing basic services, in some cases a single solar powered payphone in a village or a small number of voice connections. Technologies such as Broadcast, Satellite are still viable technologies, to serve the rural communities and will still have a role. However, with the advent of modern Fixed Wireless Broadband Access solutions, there is now a pervasive and vibrant technology and interest from the manufacturers and service providers, to deploy such systems. Economically, this makes a lot of sense. This paper discusses how eLearning can be delivered over a modern Fixed Wireless Broadband Access system, with some ideas and concepts, how eLearning should be presented, based upon sound teaching techniques and focusing on the Learning process. Use of Fixed Wireless Broadband Access, can be utilized effectively and economically to serve rural areas, and bridge the ‘Digital divide’, but can also be used to serve peri-urban and urban areas as part of a solution mix of technologies. There is no ‘one size fits all’ technology solution to meet the needs of the community, across all segments of work and life. Services such as Education in the form of eLearning or Distance Learning, Health Care in the form of eHealth or TeleMedicine and other services to the local Police, Fire, Internal Security, Religious Affairs Departments and the like, can all be provided over a Fixed Wireless Broadband Access Network with the required level of security. The key is simply one word......‘Bandwidth’. In addition to the above, some Fixed Wireless Broadband Access technologies, now also allow provision of legacy services, like POTS and facsimile, at the same time as providing Broadband access, thus solving basic communications problems.
