Lockdown and remote working had a positive aspect.It allowed us to refocus on the basics, family, nature and tranquility. Some people went into exile in the countryside to practice their profession remotely and were able to realize the extent of the digital divide that exists with the urban environment.
What speed can you expect when you are isolated in the countryside?
What conclusions can we draw on the ground?
What are the concrete solutions to be able to access the internet in good conditions in the countryside?
Here are the answers and solutions proposed by GET CONSEIL.
Since the beginning of the year I spend part of my time in Périgord, not far from the forest of Jacquou le Croquant. It is a magnificent region, green, hilly.
But being a technophile, I was immediately challenged by the conditions of access to the internet and the telephone.
Talking to my neighbors I got unanimous feedback: the cuts are long and repetitive and especially the speed is very unsatisfactory. The speed of ADSL is 3 km as the crow flies from the center of the village, limited to 3 Mbps.
During the walks, we saw an outdated and fragile infrastructure, in direct contact with an ever-expanding vegetation that quickly breaks the link with “cyber-civilization”.
The observation is unambiguous: it is difficult to rely on the copper ADSL network under these conditions.
So what are the alternatives to ADSL?
The fiber ? alias FTTH, it is not possible in an environment where the “overhead” cabling is subject to breakages by the trees.
The classic satellite network which has a correct speed but a certain handicap on the uplink speed and on the latency making it inappropriate for video communications for example.
Newcomer Starlink : Elon Musk’s satellite network that promises high-speed internet access anywhere. Returns are still rare and report satisfactory throughput but improvable reliability. The cost of access meanwhile remains on a high slice.
4G/5G access: At first glance, this seems complicated! Indeed, beyond the worth, it is not easy to get a 4G signal with your phone (this is even more the case for 5G) and yet this turns out to be the only viable and common-sense solution, but why?
4G frequencies can be optimally aquired via external antennas and thus deliver excellent throughput. The technology is mature, it can be considered more reliable than ADSL in certain areas. You can sometimes have the choice between two relay antennas and thus increase the resilience of the solution. The market is competitive between the 4 French operators which lowers the monthly costs.
The fixed 4G solution, the prerequisites for optimal speed:
The site survey is essential to determine which radio relays will be targeted and even which frequencies can be exploited.
Under these conditions, it is therefore possible to evaluate the network speed envisaged at a given point!
The site study can be carried out remotely using GPS and cartographic data.
On the hardware side: a 4G router adapted to the targeted frequencies and above all a pair of external antennas to be oriented in the right direction.
The result
The ADSL speed which painfully reached 3Mbps gives way to a speed of 22Mbps in 4G, enough to ensure videoconferences without too much problems.
Now that we have a reliable and fast internet connection we can receive common GSM calls in places that were not covered by GSM before. How ? Thanks to the VoWIFI functionality. If your smartphone is compatible and if your plan with your operator authorizes it, you can activate this feature:
GET CONSEIL carried out a first installation this summer near Thenon (24) see Maisonneuve Cottages Feedback
