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SCHOOLNET UGANDA VSAT PROJECT (15 Schools)
VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) refers to a small fixed earth station capable of
communicating with a geo-stationary satellite in orbit above the earth at a distance of
about 36,000 km. The VSAT is comprised of an antenna (a solid parabolic dish, of
diameter between 0.8m and 3.8 m – the size depending on the size of the frequency of
the signal received, an outdoor unit (ODU) attached to the antenna and an indoor unit
(IDU).
The outdoor unit (ODU) comprises of a radio frequency (RF) unit, which enables the
transmission of signals to the satellite and the reception of signals from it.
These signals are changed in frequency and sent over co-axial cables to the indoor
unit (IDU), which converts them from analogue to digital and provides the interface to
the LAN (generally via a router).
Objectives of the VSAT Pilot Project
The Pilot Project will attempt to determine:
(a) Whether the VSAT technology is workable within the context
(b) Whether the equipment required is affordable and sustainable
‘c) Whether the recurrent costs can be met by the schools
(d) The pedagogical impact of providing very fast Internet access to schools.
The VSAT Project is being deployed under the AFSAT International Gateway
License. Due to the licensing obligations the pilot project will only involve 15
schools. Expect for one school where point-to-multipoint wireless Spread Spectrum is
being tested, all the other VSATs will be stand-alone with no capacity to distribute
Internet.
The pilot phase will be an important experiment in proving the viability of the
technology as well as the sustainability of the system in financial terms.
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Detailed statistics will be automatically produced of the use of the system (in terms of
Internet applications used by each school and bandwidth requirements) that will
enable day-to-day control and also full evaluation of the project.
If the pilot project proves successful, it will be scaled up within Africa (i.e. within the
same satellite footprint, which might also encompass South America) on a fully
international basis in order to achieve economies of scale, which will make the service
attractive and affordable to a wide range of users.
THE VSAT NETWORK BEING DEPLOYED BY SCHOOLNET UGANGA.
Satellite
Bandwidth
VELESTER
Lango College
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Pilot Project details:
1. Internet facilities to be used by the schools will include e-mail (the major
application), file transfer (small scale) with File Transfer Protocol (FTP), web
browsing speeds including graphics and multi-media where appropriate to the
teaching (at acceptable so as not to discourage use of the system)
2. Computers in the schools will be on Local Area Networks (LANs) and run
Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
3. VSAT systems will be 2.4 m diameter operating in the C-Band (3-6 GHz) (due to
climatic conditions – the C-Band is less susceptible to interference from heavy rains
as its wavelength is much bigger than the size of a rain drop).
4. The VSAT system will be full duplex (two –way) as no PSTN lines or microwave
links or optical fibre links are desired for a return link to the Net.
5. The link will be asymmetric in nature due to the uses to which the system will be
put in the schools. There will be more bandwidth coming to the schools than going
from the schools.
6. The bandwidth to Uganda pilot schools will be 256 Kbs shared among the 11
VSAT sites. Each site will get a minimum of 23 K to enable all the schools to operate
simultaneously. However any school will be able to burst to a higher bandwidth if
other schools are not using it.
7. The bandwidth out of each school will be set to 32 Kbs during the pilot phase. .
8. In the pilot phase, it will not be possible to undertake video conferencing or video
streaming.
9. Depending on the statistics generated in the pilot phase, schools could purchase
more bandwidth even capable of undertaking video conferencing.
Schools involved in the Pilot Phase:
A total of 15 schools located in different parts of Uganda will be involved in the
VSAT pilot project. (see Map of Uganda on the next page)
Ten (10) schools; Kigezi High School (Kabaale), St. Henry’s Kitovu (Masaka),
Ndejje SS (Luwero), Iganga SS (Iganga), Mbale SS (Mbale), Teso College Aloet
(Soroti), Moroto High School (Moroto), Lango College (Lira), Duhaga SS (Hoima)
and Muni NTC (Arua) will have stand-alone VSATs with no capacity to distribute
Internet to other schools in the pilot stage.
Each school will have its own VSAT (antenna, wireless units, routing equipment), a
server and at least 10 PCs on the local area network (LAN).
One (1) school, Busoga College Mwiri will have an onward connection to four other
schools (Kiira College Butiki, Wanyange Girls, Jinja SS and PMM Girls) via a pointto- multipoint Spread-Spectrum wireless link, so a total of 15 schools will fall under
the project.
Mwiri will have an Ethernet bridge equipment linking it by wireless to the other four
(4) schools which effectively join its LAN. Spread-spectrum systems operate in the
ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band (around 2.4 GHz, which is license free.
With a wireless Ethernet LAN very little maintenance will be required. With the
appropriate monitoring software, the central school, Mwiri (with the VSAT) can
monitor and control the traffic from the four remote sites.
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VSAT PILOT PROJECT AREAS
Muni NTC
Moroto High S
Lango College
Duhaga SS
SSssHoima
Teso College
Mbale SS
Ndejje SS
Mwiri
Iganga SS
Kitovu
Kigezi HS
Current Situation
With the exception, of Muni NTC and Moroto High School VSATs, which are yet to
be installed but at the sites, the other nine (9) are already installed. It is expected that
the VSAT Project will become operational on Monday, 15th, October, 2001.
Busoga College,Mwiri (The equipment has been installed and tested). Teachers and
students at Mwiri have tested what it means to have a VSAT connection to the
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Internet.
Mbale SS (Equipment has been installed but is awaiting
testing)
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Iganga SS (Equipment has been installed and tested. Teachers and students at Iganga
SS have tested what it means to have a VSAT connection to the Internet. A 40 m
tower has been erected at the school with the assistance of IICD (International
Institute for Communication and Development) with the hope of using it to distribute
Internet from the Iganga VSAT in the future.
Teso College Aloet ( Equipment is installed awaiting testing)
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Ownership of Equipment.
WorLD Links will retain ownership of the equipment until the legal personality of
SchoolNet Uganda is established, at which time ownership will be transferred to
SchoolNet Uganda for a period of two years. If participating schools abide by their
written obligations to finance their share of the costs of Internet connectivity for a
period of two years, then the schools will assume ownership of the VSAT equipment
and will report this as part of their inventory.
Obligations of the schools:
1. Host the VSAT equipment
2. Protect the VSAT antenna from human interference or otherwise as it is accurately
pointing to a weak signal on a long way off. Schools are required to cage the
equipment.
3. Keep the number of PCs connected to the Internet to no more than ten (10) not to
discourage other schools. The bandwidth coming to the schools is 256 Kbs (shared).
This calls for collective responsibility on bandwidth use.
4. Provide security and insurance for the equipment after all the school is most likely
to own the equipment after two (2) years.
5. Pay a monthly fee of US $ 200 per month for the bandwidth. The total cost of
bandwidth for all the 11 VSATs in the pilot project is US $ 6000 per month. Since
there are 15 schools in the pilot project, ideally each school should be paying US $
400 per month, which is on the high side for schools. World Links for Development
will provide a 50% subside on the cost of bandwidth. The schools will pay US $ 200
per month like the other schools connected to the Internet using Spread-Spectrum
wireless links from commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Kampala.
6. Provide constant electric power for the VSAT equipment.
7. Attend centralized trainings (technical and pedagogical) organized by
WorLD/SchoolNet Uganda and also school-based training facilitated by SchoolNet.
Schools, which do not honor their obligations, will not assume ownership and may
see the equipment repossessed by SchoolNet Uganda, which could then transfer the
equipment to other schools
Role of SchoolNet Uganda after the two (2) pilot years
1. Provide a Management Structure of the VSAT infrastructure
2. Provide and coordinate both technical and Pedagogical training.
3. Identify appropriate hardware and software for the schools.
4. Help school develop their sustainability and expansion models.