DTN-enabled Infostation and Cinema-in-a-Backpack

Abstract

Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) aim to enable content distribution in areas where little to no access to affordable communication channels is available. We are interested in DTNs for reaching out into under-served regions in growing economies, when distributing media and videos from cities to rural areas. DTNs enable content distribution in such areas, using mobility of devices and avoiding the need for traditional network infrastructure. The content is distributed to the target destinations using buses equipped with infostations, namely wireless DTN-enabled devices. Mobile cinema entertainment, possibly combined with educational content, will be the use case. Micro-entrepreneurs in remote villages will be provided with low-complex small cinema-in-a-backpack systems, which allow them to screen the content and start with a micro-business activity around the show events. In this paper, we present our wireless infostation and the cinema-in-a-back that we have built for the purpose and ready for a six-month long field deployment in rural South Africa, in partnership with local institutions.