Chapter 1: Introduction
The Internet. In just fifteen short years, it has grown exponentially in magnitude and speed to the point that when you hear the word “information,” you think of the Internet and nothing else. The Internet was, indeed, the impetus and catalyst behind the information age in which we are now living. In fact, it has so deeply permeated our everyday lives that access to it has become as essential as telephone service for many Canadians.
As the Internet has grown and as innovative minds have been working, new applications and services have been introduced for the Internet which have greater bandwidth requirements. Flash-driven web sites, streaming video news, radio webcasts, videoconferencing, podcasting, distance education, and VoIP are just some of the bandwidth-intensive Internet applications that have gained popularity over the past several years. The Internet has continued to grow and innovate, and the primary way it has been able to do so has been by setting the “bandwidth bar” higher; that is, assuming that most Internet users have a high-speed connection. Unfortunately, this has caused some disparity in the technological and economic advancement between urban areas and rural areas. People living in rural areas have been left behind with slow dial-up access as their only affordable option, while the number of low-bandwidth-friendly websites and services has continued to decline. Many Canadians dream of a peaceful home office out in the country and the ability to commute or telecommute to work. Small-town Canada dreams of attracting new businesses and industry to build a strong economy. Sadly, the lack of broadband Internet infrastructure in rural or under-served areas makes those dreams far less attainable.
The goal is to narrow the digital divide in broadband Internet connectivity. Communities and governments need to be made aware of the current and upcoming broadband technologies, several of which may provide a solution for rural Canada. What are the available broadband infrastructure technologies, and how can their feasibility for rural communities be determined? This thesis will answer this question by identifying and exploring several technologies, assessing their characteristics and physical requirements, and producing feasibility-determining algorithms with the overall goal of providing a concise and valuable resource to local governments and economic development organizations.
© Jake Cormier, 2006 [jake (at) stormcloudstudios.com]
Completed as a partial requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Science (specialized)
Department of Computer Science :: Algoma University College :: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario :: Spring 2006