Can network coding bridge the digital divide in the pacific?

Abstract

The present study has its genesis in a longitudinal project aimed at determining long-term trends in jitter, packet loss and other observables on long-distance Internet paths [1]. The project also documents the challenges faced by users in remote locations with numerous nodes in various Pacific Island nations. This naturally poses the question how one might improve their connectivity. Bandwidth upgrades can address the bandwidth bottleneck to an extent, but do not address latency issues unless an island simultaneously upgrades to a lower latency connection, i.e., from a geostationary (GEO) to a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite [2] or to a fibre-optic submarine cable. Keywords: Satellites, Packet loss, Logic gates, Bandwidth, IP networks, Internet