WiFi has arrived on the Carribean island of Antigua/Barbuda. The multi-purpose network, which brings commercial service to more than 40 percent of the island’s population, will also be used to support computer-based instruction in 21 educational computer labs, three of them mobile.WiFi has arrived on the Carribean island of Antigua/Barbuda. The multi-purpose network, which brings commercial service to more than 40 percent of the island’s population, will also be used to support computer-based instruction in 21 educational computer labs, three of them mobile.
The network service, which uses Tropos Networks MetroMesh solutions, is being provided by Antigua Computer Technology, a locally owned service provider in the eastern Carribean.
The mobile classrooms are already operating and the fixed labs are expected to be completed this year. ACT anticipates they will serve a total of 7798 students at 14 primary and nine secondary schools. The mobile classrooms are a lovely solution for bringing computer education to remote, hard-to-serve areas. As a solution, it’s reminiscent of the bookmobiles once used to bring library resources to remote areas in the United States.
The project is part of the governmental Connect Antigua & Barbuda Initiative. In addition to providing educational services, monthly subscriptions to broadband service provided by the network will be made available to residences and businesses at $50 (US) per month.
The Tropos press release appears below.
The Antigua Computer Technology Co. Ltd (A.C.T.), locally owned and based in Antigua and Barbuda, is the largest Wi-Fi Internet Service Provider in the Eastern Caribbean. According to A.C.T.’s Managing Director Mr. Salomon Doumith, “there is a lot more we at A.C.T. have to offer to the public but it is the demand for mobilization and instant access to the Internet which has led us to the full scale deployment of a Wi-Fi network.”
For the public schools, three MobileCenter classrooms are already up and running and 18 fixed Internet Centers are expected to be completed in 2007. In 2008, plans are for a total of 7,798 students to have access to A.C.T.’s Wi-Fi network. This includes 14 primary schools, with 2,796 students, and nine secondary schools, with 5,002 students. Each of the Mobile Centers is equipped with one of Tropos’ Mobile MetroMesh routers for a wireless Internet connection, 17 mobile touch PCs, a GPS for up-to-date location of the MobileCenter, and a video phone for local communications and video conferencing.
“This is a perfect way to reach out to the public; the technology used here on our network could not have worked better. When A.C.T. began this venture, it seemed impossible to most people at the time. That is, until we made the Wi-Fi mesh network available to the public,” said Mr. Shervin Bruno, Broadcast Engineer (A.C.T).
The wireless network is available to residents and local businesses on a monthly subscription basis starting at US $50/month.
According to Andrea Joseph, Network Administrative Assistant at A.C.T, “the redundancy of the mesh network and readily available backup battery power makes it ideal for providing reliable service to schools, government and corporate institutions where uninterrupted service is crucial.”
“Although we are still a ways from reaching the coverage area mapped out for the island, the responses that we have received thus far indicate that we are pioneering economic growth and satisfying the pent up demand and needs of our citizens,” said Mr. Eustace Phillip, Telecom Manager (A.C.T.).
The network is the latest project of the Connect Antigua & Barbuda Initiative, introduced by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and spearheaded by the minister of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications, the Honorable Dr. Edmond A. Mansoor. “The program is designed to upgrade the intellectual capital of the Nation and build an open and pluralistic society, one in which all citizens and residents have access to information and knowledge.”
“The selection of the Tropos MetroMesh system to enable fixed and mobile network access supporting the education and economic initiatives for Antigua and Barbuda is gratifying,” said Denise Barton, director of marketing for Tropos Networks. “We look forward to continuing to work with the local government and A.C.T. as they expand the network and introduce additional applications which enrich the lives of citizens in Antigua & Barbuda.”
About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos Networks is the market leader in delivering metro-scale wireless mesh network systems. The company’s systems have been selected to unwire more major league cities than all competitors combined and are installed in 30 countries. The patented Tropos MetroMesh architecture delivers the ultimate scalability, high capacity at low cost and great user experience demanded by service providers, municipalities and network users. Tropos Networks’ unique expertise includes high-performance mesh software development, mesh RF engineering, metro-scale network planning, deployment and optimization, and navigating the municipal approval process. Tropos Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to
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