NU12 - by Jaime- Mendejar free wifi in Barangays

Barangay Wi-fi

The recently concluded Branagay Elections where you elect a Brgy Captain and 7 'Kagawads' just finished and it was interesting atleast for our Barangay to see what the candidates plans were.  Most of them focused on yellow cards for senior citizens, and CCTV cameras on major streets (for crime).  But opn reviewing some of the candidates, none of them touched on a vision of mine which is free wi-fi for all the residents.  Might sound too big a goal to think about but here's how I think it can happen.

1st is selecting a provider, for example you choose Globe (installing the maximum speed), you can install 1 global router per Zone. Since our Barangay is divided into 7 zones, you would need 7 routers.  2nd, where do you place the routers?  This can be either by creating a small office per zone to place it, or placing it in a central house with the resident's decision where the main responsibility is of course to keep it operable at all times.  I believe this would be easy since Brgy. Captains or Kagawads should have a strong connection with people in each zone (that's why they got elected).  3rd, once routers are in place, you need to install repeaters in key areas across the Barangay to amplify signals to reach even the remote areas.  This may be tested by surveying the signal from 1 point to another, if a signal is still weak the another repeater needs to be installed.  If you have the means, then you can install your own repeater.  4th, the password.  You may think that you have 7 routers then you have 7 passwords, if everyone knew the passwords for all routers then the speed may be compromised.  So I suggest that passwords should only be given to residents per zone (for home-use), the incentive for people not to give out their passwords to friends or relatives in other zones is because if they use it (eg. zone 6 overlaps with the signal of zone 7) it would be Zone 7's loss because their speed might be too slow for all the users.  So 1 password per zone, and keep it to yourself.

Overall, if a Barangay wi-fi is installed, the benefits would be for students not to go to computer shops anymore to pay just to do their research.  People would be more knowledgeable with information and news that can be accessed thru the net increasing literacy specially for those who have not finished formal education.   3.5

By Jaime Mendejar