Virginia
Summary
MBC and Microsoft partner with school districts in rural southern Virginia to create largest US TV White Space network providing free internet access to student’s homes.
Requirements
Broadband technology that could deliver broadband in the hills and trees of rural Southern Virginia.
Solution
MBC deployed Adaptrum high power TVWS basestations at school and tower locations along with ACRS2.0 client radios at student’s homes.
Benefits
Results
MBC is providing coverage to approximately 1,000 homes across two counties.
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) is middlemile
provider in Virginia. Since its founding in 2004, MBC has focused its
mission on promoting economic development and bridging the digital
divide in rural communities across Virginia.
As instructional methods and technologies advance to include online
learning and digital resources, access to internet has become a vital part
of every child’s education. To address this need, MBC’s backbone currently
provides fiber connectivity to 159 schools giving students in the region
access to the high-speed internet during school hours. However, many
students in this rural area lose vital access to online educational material
when the school day ends and they head home. This “homework gap”
puts students at a disadvantage compared to peers in urban areas where
broadband at home is readily available and affordable.
To address this important problem, MBC, in partnership with Microsoft,
launched a program to provide free internet service to student homes
over the largest deployment of TV White Space (TVWS) to date in the
United States. With rural populations, hilly terrain, and an abundance of
trees, TVWS provided a broadband technology that could economically
extend the broadband connection at the school to reach many of the
surrounding homes that lacked affordable internet.
After evaluating and piloting various equipment options, MBC selected
Adaptrum’s TVWS solution based both on the performance and reliability
of the TVWS network as well as Adaptrum’s focus on innovating to further
improve coverage and speeds to connected families.
The first phase of the program has been launched in
two counties, in partnership with Halifax & Charlotte
County public school districts, which both have a
general lack of widespread affordable broadband
options. The first phase of the network is comprised
of 18 sites each with typically three sectors using
Adaptrum High Power Base Station radios. Providing
long-range none-line-of-sight coverage from school
and tower locations, the network can reach over 1,000
homes, which will receive internet using Adaptrum’s
ACRS2.0 client radios. With Adaptrum radios reliably
providing both the necessary coverage and speed,
Jeremy Satterfield said, “The functionality of the
equipment has been pretty steadfast.”
The Adaptrum team worked closely with MBC to
understand the unique topography of the region
and to determine the best solution for reaching
as many homes as possible. Commenting on the
project, Jeremy Satterfield said, “Adaptrum has
been a tremendous partner as we look at closing
the homework gap in Virginia. Not only have they
provided key guidance on using TVWS wireless,
but have worked closely with us to ensure the best
service to student homes.”
The TVWS connectivity immediately provided a positive impact. The very first installation went to a family of three children whose mother was a teacher. Before receiving the system, all four had to spend many evenings at school or libraries in order to get online to complete assignments. After receiving TVWS-powered internet at home, the family can now spend more quality time together. With over 100 households connected and many more families signed-up, every student will be able to access unlimited educational content at home improving not only their education, but also their quality of life.
Following the success and positive impact of the
initial phase, MBC plans to not only expand the TVWS
network with Adaptrum equipment to surrounding
counties, but will also offer a service option, where
MBC will sell commodity-based Internet for students
and their families that will be set up by third-party
provider partners. The paid option will offer full web
access, not restricted solely to educational content.