AirJaldi’s technology is based on the identification, modification anddeployment of affordable equipment suitable to the needs and conditions of rural areas. Tight integration of many open-source software tools is at the base of our work. 

Our networks extend existing Internet broadband services by interconnecting wireless routers (“nodes”) to form a network that provides coverage and Internet access to a given area.

Following intensive testing, selected hardware platforms are fitted with power supplies and charge controllers capable of handling wide power fluctuations. Each node is supported by a battery backup and, in places where electricity supply is erratic or non-existent, with a solar power supply. A variety of antennas are used to enable significant extension of the nodes’ range and area of coverage.

The software packages we use  - leading F/OSS packages and our own - greatly expands the nodes’ ability to optimize traffic, report on their status and performance, recover from various problems or enable remote trouble-shooting, provide hot-spot services and allow for high-level network encryption to ensure network security. Our solutions also allow nodes to act both as a point of connectivity for users as well as a relay to other nodes.

The router and other components are mounted mostly on low masts placed on rooftops or high places. The easily- installed nodes are small and unobtrusive and their low emitted radiation and power requirements make for a very low ecological footprint.

The network is centrally controlled by a management & support system, which allows operators to manage the network and maximize its abilities, as described in the table below.

Use the links below for a more detailed description of our work
Information could also be found in “Beyond Pilots: Keeping Rural Wireless Networks Alive”, a paper describing the work of AirJaldi and the TIER research group at UC-Berkeley. (© 2008 by the USENIX Association )

Check the following technology write-ups on our website: 

The AirJaldi Bandwidth Maximizer (BwM)

Aiming Wifi antennas - the low cost way

Free telephony project 

Czech router in the Himalyas