Next-Generation Wireless Backhaul Design for Rural Areas

Rural areas often face significant challenges in accessing reliable broadband Internet due to high infrastructure costs and low population density. To address this issue, we propose a model for evaluating the performance and the cost of a mesh-based, last- and middle-mile replacement for broadband connection in these underserved regions. We use open data from ten underserved municipalities to assess the demand, plan the mesh network, and estimate the allocated capacity per user. We consider two designs: a low-cost network using the classical 5 GHz unlicensed band, and a high-performance one using mmWave frequency. For both designs, we estimate the Operating Expenditure and the amortized Capital Expenditure using realistic device prices and operating cost estimations. We compare the price of the mesh-based solution with alternatives based on xDSL and satellite connectivity and show that it has competitive prices compared to existing offers, covering a larger portion of households than DSL. We open-source both the code and the elaborated data to reproduce, extend, and improve our results in different settings.