Thanks to engineers in Vietnam, people in rural areas might get fast internet through their water pipes! Good internet accessibility still remains a big challenge for many, especially in rural regions in the world and this new development might help to make some progress with the issue.
The coronavirus outbreak is already proving how crucial a good internet connection is when movement is restricted and resources are limited. People and governments are completely dependent on the internet for everything from working from home and screening for the virus to mapping and containing the outbreak. For people who are geographically isolated, the internet could be even more important and especially if remote working becomes the norm after the crisis. Furthermore, with 5G expected to become more widely available soon, there is also a chance that rural areas without access to good internet end up seriously lagging behind major cities.
The idea of being able to get fast internet through water-pipes is certainly one that night raise quite a few eyebrows, but according to a recent article by the Vietnam Electrical Institute, the new system is the result of progress made in electrical signalling. This new system, scientists believe, will be far cheaper than laying fiber optic or copper wires in remote regions. In theory, this could also be an option for rural areas in any part of the world. This is not the first time the internet has been delivered in this way as there is already a project in Washington State that delivers Wi-Fi wires through water pipes. However, the Vietnamese system is unique in the fact that there are no cables involved.
How The Internet Can Be Accessed Through Water Pipes
Light signals are transported through the water itself and that is a revolutionary concept. The main challenge is to get the light signals to their destination without getting distorted by the murky conditions inside the pipe. This is achieved through an AI-driven algorithm that cancels out the noise from the distortion. The incoming download signal is captured at any of the water outlets in a house by installing a modem there. For uploading, the users will have to install another modem, this time near a sewage pipe, since both download and upload signals can’t go through the same pipe. Toilet pipes are suitable for this since they are the biggest. Although not as fast as the conventional networks, this system is expected to deliver up to 70% the download speed of fiber optics and can get up to 90% if the water is running. Upload speeds are much less with 60% when the sewage pipe is not in use and just 14.6% when the pipes are in use.
Considering how important internet has become in the aftermath of the virus outbreak, governments around the world need to step-up and ensure internet access for everyone. Also, as more economic activities become digital, it is crucial that those living in remote regions have a fast internet connection to connect and stay connected with rest of the world.
